


Sandstorms and grass.

by Rqccoon



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, And misses being loved but doesn't really know it, Angst, Bad is also trying his best, Character Death, Charlie knows what he's doing, Dream is kinda cold, Dream is really protective, Dream is touch-starved, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, First Meetings, Fluff, Fundy is a furry, George has trust issues, George is hella colourblind, Getting to Know Each Other, He just wants to protect George, Homophobic Language, Hurt No Comfort, I promise, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Internalized Homophobia, Karl is hella awkward, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Niki and Eret have been together since the start, No Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Phil is briefly mentioned, Quackity is gonna be a fucking nightmare in this, Ranboo is badass, Regret, Sam gonna help Wilbur look after some kids :D, Sapnap feels bad, Skeppy has no clue what he's doing, Slow Burn, Slow friendship, Strangers to Lovers, Tommy acts like he doesn't care, Tubbo is baby, Violence, Wilbur is just trying his best, Wilbur is the best big brother, along with a lot of other people, and needs help, and traumatized, bc he's deaf :), but he does, but he's emotionally unstable :), he angy, multiple POVs, sapnap doesn't show up till later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:20:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 30,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25082260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rqccoon/pseuds/Rqccoon
Summary: Dream went by three rules when the world went to shit.1. Survive, no matter what.2. Never stay in one place.3. Don't make friends.So, how the hell did he end up with this guy?[ON HOLD]
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 166
Kudos: 1087





	1. Chapter 1

Dream was looking at his map, it was a city map he had picked up a few months ago. It showed road routes and underground train routes that basically no longer exist. Dream had found it while trying to clear out a tourist shop and when he picked it up it showed where exactly the shop was on the map, so Dream had a good idea of where he was in the country now.

He had his black ski googles unto the top of his head pushing up his dirty blond hair so he could look at the map better, his dark green bandana for covering his mouth pulled down. He also was wearing a lime green hoodie with a black sleeveless coat on and a pair on black jeans topped with dark brown tied boots. He was wrapped warm as for it was ‘cold season.’

When the world went to shit the weather changed...a lot. Thunderstorms were worse, winds were worse, the heat was worse, the snow was worse. It was an on-going list and right now, winds were high and bring sandstorms in.

When the world went to shit, the buildings came down and fell, roads caved in and cracked, a lot of things just disappeared and only sand and salt was left behind but some places were just over grown with nature; though Dream had only heard tales over the overgrown cities He had only been to ones that were just rubble and broken. There was honestly nothing but endless miles of grains of sand.

When the world went to shit, Dream lost people, his co-workers, his family, his lover. People died, half of population must have died and the other half was trying to survive. Dream was leaving his work when the bright light had happened and then the huge bang and gust of powerful winds speeding in. The winds were that strong Dream had to hold onto something as he witnessed buildings around him shake and some start to tower over and fall. He remembers how surreal it was. People were being crushed by parts from the buildings and all he could do was pray he wouldn’t get hit by anything falling as he was frozen in his place with fear. It felt like hours that the winds flew by but in reality, it was only 10 minutes, but the winds had already managed to ruin everything around him. He remembers standing still before running, running to his mother's house, he remembers calling out to her, trying to find something in the rubble of what was left of his childhood house, he remembers going to his own home, finding her, stuck under-

Snapping out of thoughts, thinking about when it had all started Dream looked back to the map in his hand, he was thinking where next to go. The ‘two’ of them had stayed in this area for too long now. Dream scanned over the map once more before deciding on a route to take.

He looked up to see an edge of a cliff a few feet away from him, over it showed a large stretch of space that just showed sand for ages. Standing a bit too close to the edge was-

“GEORGE!” the boy with the short fluffy hair suddenly turned to look at Dream, his dark chocolate eyes catching Dream's green ones. Dream shook his head with a scowl, “Stop going so near to the edge! C’mon, we’re leaving.” his voice was cold, jaw set in place. Dream was always in such a sour mood.

The shorter boy started walking towards Dream, pulling down his leather aviator goggles to cover his eyes. Dream copied not long after pulling down his own ski googles and pulling his bandana over his mouth making sure it was help in place. The way Dream decided to head was going to have some heavy winds which would mean they were away to drive through some heavy sand. He leaned down putting the map into his bag and putting a few other things in it, he picks it up and puts it on.

Once he stood up again George was next to him, Dream stared at him through his own googles for a few before shaking his head again. He turned on his heel and headed towards the motorcycle that had been parked about 30 minutes ago while Dream tried to figure out where he was wanting to go. George kept following, fixing the straps of his own bag as he kept up with Dream’s fast pace. Stumbling a bit as he tried to keep the same speed as Dream. Dream took a glance behind him, hearing the shuffling of feet, George had always been clumsy; falling over his own feet, dropping things. Dream hated to admit it but whenever he heard the shuffling of feet, he always checks behind him to make sure George didn’t fall over or anything. Dream sighed, still side-glancing at George.

How the fuck did he break rule number three? 

'A few weeks previous.'

Dream was running, fast. The beating of his heart sounded loud in his ears; he could also hear his own footsteps hit the ground hard as he tried to run quicker. He was running through a fallen city. He was trying to get away from some stupid gang he had ran into, he was just trying to loot some shit, he cursed at himself for being so careless in a city of all places. Dream reached up and grabbed onto some concrete, his clammy hands almost making him slip but he pulled himself up, swinging a leg over. Dream continued to run, jumping down from the rubble he had jump pulled himself up onto, he spots an open area from his view, taking a quick turn, he hoped this would lose the good few people chasing him. He could hear shouts not far from him, someone shouting about helping to get up onto the rubble.

Though, Dream paid no mind as he ducked into small hole and into an old shop, selves and selves that were just wrecked, some things still stood on them. It was mainly things that people didn’t need anymore. Dream looked around, the windows were covered with wood, blocking anyone from looking in which was perfect for him.

He could think of an escape from here, looking around more he surfed the selves for anything worthy of picking up. Walking around, he had found a staff only backroom. He wasted no time opening the door and heading in only to face a small male on the ground with a badly beat face at the other side of the room. The boy looked young, and scared; Dream didn’t blame him. The boy was pale, Dream couldn’t tell if it was due to the fact this guy was bleeding a lot from his nose or if he was just usually pale, the paleness was covered by some bruises especially around his right eye. Dream didn't like how pale he looked.

It was dim in the room but it was bright enough to notice all these things. The other male seemed to reach for something but Dream reacted quicker, pulling out a handgun and pointing it straight at the male.

The other boy seemed to flinch with a pained look and stop reaching for whatever he was trying to get. The male seemed to turn his head to the side a little while still locking eyes with Dream.

Dream pondered for a second, this guy looked like he was on the edge of death. This boy was clearly not with the others that were chasing him, so there was no need to shot him. Dream couldn’t care less how bloodied and bruised this boy was, he had come across many people on their deathbed and never gave it a second thought before leaving the area as if they didn’t even exist but something about this boy’s face was making Dream feel something and he didn’t like it so he looked away.

Dream spotted another door probably leading outside and a way to get out of this dammed area. Dream strides pass the male, going to open the door. He stops, hovering his hand on top of the door handle. He turned around and crouched beside the male.

The guy turned his head to look at Dream, his nose still bleeding. Dream dug his hands in his pockets before pulling out a rag and pushing it up to the male’s face who raised his hand to hold it on his own nose, the blood quickly soaking through the thin material. Dream furrowed his eyebrows, “You with the guys out there?” The boy quickly shook his head, his eye seemed to fill with fear.

Dream was cursing himself out in his head, wondering what the fuck he was doing. He’s not meant to interact with people, not to talk or help anyone. Talking wastes time and helping waste resources he could use for himself. But, the look on this boy’s face was too hard to ignore and it was pissing Dream off. Dream noticed how deep of a colour of the eyes he was looking into, the showed a wide range of emotion. He was staring at someone innocent, his eyes screamed innocent, fear and curiosity. Dream was regretting this more; he pressed his lips together in a flat line. This male obviously didn’t know how to deal with the outside world and now Dream was interacting with him. He could’ve just signed himself up for some dead weight if this guy got attached to Dream for helping him yet Dream spoke again.

“Can you stand?” Dream’s voice was low, trying to keep quiet.

The guy looked at his legs before looking back at Dream and nodding. Dream stood up from crouching and turned to the door. He could hear the guy behind him standing up behind him. Dream opened the door enough just to peak his head out and scanned the area, there seemed to be a straight shot just across the street in this area, it looked as if it led up to a bunch of cars. Dream opened the door fully to let the other guy see outside, stepping out Dream peaked a few more corners to make sure they were both in the clear. Dream then looked back at the boy, he seemed to be shaking a little bit, Dream wondered if it was okay just to leave him behind and just sprint. Dream shook his head at the thought and grabbed the male’s hand, the guy jumped with the sudden grab but he didn’t have much time to protest as he was being dragged along by Dream.

Dream ran as hard as he could heading straight towards the cars he saw. He was crossing his fingers hoping the fuck by the gods that one of them has gas and a working engine.

“Over here!” Dream heard a shout and he looked over his shoulder to see where it came from. It was those fuckers chasing him.

Dream picked up the speed which seemed to make the male he was pulling along fall over but Dream’s gip on his hand seemed to keep him upright. Dream ran up to the first thing he saw which was a pickup truck. Dream let go of the boy’s hand and swung the door of the truck open which was by luck at the fact it was unlocked. Dream jumped in and shuffled over to the driver's side and ducked head down to tear open a pocket where wires fell out from.

“Get in!” Dream shouted to the boy just standing outside the truck, he was hoping he would just be able to leave him once they reached the other side of the street but he wasn’t going to leave him here with all these people right behind their tail.

The male jumped and Dream felt the truck shake as the door slammed shut, he kept pulling apart at the wires hoping that there was gas in the truck. Dream pushed two wires together that spat sparks at his face, “God dam-”, Dream’s words were cut off by gun fire.

The male beside him ducked his head down as bullets went through the back windshield. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Dream shouted as he rushed to get the truck running, suddenly the engine roared and Dream shot his head back up and he positioned his feet on the pedals. He put the truck in reverse and turned the wheel to an angle to swerve out of the tight space they were stuck in, bullets were still being fired as Dream switched his foot to slam on accelerate and changed the mode into forward as he tried to sped out of the area, there was road that led straight out into open sand, it was the only place to go, head out into a place with nothing for miles but it was the only safe move as this part of the broken city was full of crackheads plaguing for blood.

The car was going past what the speed limit would usually be, way over it, but Dream wasn’t planning on dying today.

The male beside Dream had sat up and was now gripping anything he could while Dream speeded, Dream leaned forward getting ready to make a hard left out of this place and not just head straight. Dream held tightly onto the wheel as he twisted it and held his food onto clutch to get a good turn, the car turned with some force as they both jolted forward. Dream just kept his focus on driving, driving further out into the sand.

He could see some heavy sand winds up ahead; it was something he could lose those people in if they decided to follow.

It had been a few hours since Dream had been driving now, he gave no attention to the male beside him. He kept thinking of ways to just leave him behind. Just stopping the car and telling him to get out or stop at some old gas stations and tell him to check the place for supplies and just drive off as soon as the male turned his back but even when they did pass an gas station Dream couldn’t bring himself to stop the car, he just kept going.

Something about that innocent look on the boy’s face made Dream fight against it, the look just screamed ‘I can’t survive out here alone!’ and the way Dream found him proved his point but Dream didn’t know who the fuck this dude was, didn’t know him personally so why should he give a shit if the guy couldn’t survive out here alone, it wasn’t his problem yet here the male was still in the truck with Dream.

Dream finally looked over to the guy beside him, only to see wide eyes staring back at him, Dream instantly looked back to the broken road in front him.

He furrowed his eyebrows, “Could you not stare at me?!” he snapped at the boy next to him, he could see from the corner of his eyes that the boy flinched and turned his focus to look outside the car door window.

Dream coughed awkwardly, tightening his grip on the wheel. Dream decided to return his focus on driving to look for a place they could settle and soon an old small looking village turned up, before everything fucked up Dream guessed that this was a farm area due to it covered in ruined fences and that there was a place that looked like a stable, climbing out the car he told the other male to wait while he checked the place out.

Dream did a quick sweep of the area, checking the houses he could get into and some open areas. Everything seemed to be okay so far, he returned back to the truck and opened the truck door for the other guy with him. The guy jumped out and that was when Dream noticed the big height difference between them, it was another thing to add to the list of what Dream hated about this guy so far. His face, paleness and height.

“There’s a house with two beds we can use, the door can be easily blocked if anyone happens to wonder by.” Dream walked up to the house he was talking about; the other male took wide steps as he tried to keep up with Dream’s long legs. Dream noticed this too, this guy struggle to keep up and it was instantly put on his list of things he hates about this dude.

Dream scoffed and opened the door and held it open the other guy, he shut the door as he got in and went up to a chest of draws and started to push it from behind to put it in front of the door. The other male looked around; the place was a complete mess, things tipped over and other things broken.

Dream huffed as he let go of the chest of draws and looked over to the shorter of the two, the other turned around and Dream could see dry blood that trailed from his nose down to his chin. Dream lifted his hand and pointed to the hallway, “Take the one on the left.” The male nodded and walked away, going to take one of the bedrooms Dream mentioned, Dream followed not long after taking the one to the right.

Dream stared at the bed as he stripped off his clothing, his pulled off his shirt that exposed his chest which had a wide scar running across it. Dream crawled into the bed and laid.

He had just messed up badly.

He hadn’t broken any of his rules yet, he hadn’t made friends with the other male he just helped him out of a little trouble but Dream’s mind racked and search on how he was going to leave this boy behind but he couldn’t figure out how to.

Dream sighed heavily and closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW / Violence, blood and such;
> 
> Consider following my twitter? I'm most likely to talk about my au on there and talk about upcoming updates! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc

Dream woke up to hissing sounds, he sat straight up in the bed and shot a puzzled look towards the bedroom door. The hissing with accompanied with some groans and that’s when Dream quickly jumped out of the bed and quickly grabbed his clothes and hurriedly put them on, he also grabbed his handgun. 

Dream took long strides to the bedroom door and opened the door and narrowed his eyes down the hallway to see the back of someone’s head. Dream kept walking, passing the other male. 

Dream went straight up to the windows at the front, they were boarded with wood but there was still cracks to look through them. Dream leaned down a little peeking through and that was when Dream seen them, a couple ‘creepers.’ out on the road. 

Creepers were confusing things, they were...human? Or at least, used to be human. 

Creepers had these weird patches of green and weird bubbling boils on their skin and it was absolutely disgusting. Dream’s face twisted with disgust as he stared longer at the two outside the house. Dream pulled himself back from looking outside the boarded window, he turned on his heel and walked into the kichen at the other end of the hallway passing that guy again and the two bedrooms. 

Entering the kitchen, Dream wondered why creepers were this so far out. They tended to keep in areas that still had mass amounts of buildings still standing with some tipped buildings. They kept in areas that were the ‘old world.’ 

Dream thought back to when he entered that city, Dream was only hoping to loot some shit. He was being careless, usually he was always prepared if anything was going to attack him but he had been on a streak of at least 2 weeks of not being attacked by surviving humans or creepers. He entered the city and noticed no stragglers of creepers around, Dream never thought much about it but he should’ve because cities were always filled with creepers or they weren’t because people cleared them out; Dream cursed at himself for being so thoughtless and getting spotted by that group. 

Dream knew how to deal with the creepers though, it was better to use a knife or something sharp on them rather than bullets, creepers were easy to sneak up on. It was something which was great advantage but something about the creepers was if they managed to break your skin, throw up on you or burst their boils on you; 

It was over, everything you ever did to survive would go to waste. 

But Dream had handled these horrible things many times, a lot of bloody fucking times. 

Dream searched through the kitchen, pulling open cupboards and draws looking for anything sharp, he started picking up forks and blunt knifes from one of the draws and flinging them out, they hit the wall behind him before finally making a final sound clanking on the wooden floor. Dream let out a huff of annoyance as he opened some other draws before looking up and seeing a knife rack, there was only one knife in it, a paring knife. 

Dream held his grip on it and smirked, this would do. 

Dream walked back down the hallway and passed the male who seemed to still be in the same spot as when Dream first saw him when he had woken up. Dream turned around to look at the other, Dream’s eyebrowes knitted together looking at the other male’s face. 

The shorter looked absolutely petrified, his eyes were darting place to place at the two windows at the other side of the room. He also had his bottom lip caught in his teeth. 

“Have you never encountered a creeper before?” Dream spoke in a hushed tone, keeping his profile low so the creepers outside didn’t catch on that there were two living people close around for them to snack on. Dream placed his handgun on the table, along with his bag and bandana. 

The male’s head snapped in Dream’s direction, finally aware of the others presence. His scared face turned confused.   
  
“The dead who walk?” Dream grumbled; the creepers were already dead. Dream just didn’t want to call the zombies because they were completely different things from the fictional undead. 

The other nodded his head. 

“Killed one?” Dream pressed more about the creepers to the other male. 

This time he shook his head, and Dream rubbed his face. 

He really fucking dragged along a dead weight, a burden. This guy didn’t know how to fucking defend himself. 

“Just...wait fucking there.” Dream pointed at the male with the knife he had just picked up. The guy nodded again, his eyes now lingering on the knife that was just pointed at him. 

Dream lowered the knife and looked away, he noticed how he scared the other by pointing the knife at him but Dream didn’t think about that for long before heading to the front door and grabbing the chest of draws he had pushed in front of it when they first got inside. 

Dream pulled it till it didn’t block the door anymore, it made some scraping noises which Dream hoped wasn’t too loud. 

Dream cracked open the door, his eyes already trained on the two creepers in the middle of the road, they both had their attention on something, Dream couldn’t make out what but one was facing Dream with its back while the other stood sideways with its head slightly tilted, it had an unfinished cut in its neck and greenish/purple blood was spilling out from its wound. 

Dream cringed, the second one was going to be hard. Creepers blood was almost as equal to what they threw up. Dream would have to avoid touching the blood all together but its neck had to be fully exposed to kill it off properly, it needed a clean cut to the neck or its head gone completely.

Using the smashed car beside him to his advantage he snooped low and Dream crouched, starteing to walk quietly over to them. Dream gripped the knife in his hand, putting it in an angle to grab and kill the first creeper. 

Dream lunged forward, hooking his wielded hand around its neck and his free hand on its hair and pulled it backwards behind the car to undisturb the other creeper. Dream made sure to do it quickly. The hand that gripped hair in it was pulled, making the creeper look up into the sky while Dream pulled the knife deep into its neck, blood sputtered in front of him and Dream let go and pushed it forward, the creeper made a big ‘thud!’ 

Dream heard a high-pitched shriek, “FUCK!” 

Dream scrambled to his feet, ready to dart back to the house. The creeper that was already leaking had heard the other creeper hitting the floor and was quickly making a move towards Dream, it gurgled and hissed. 

Dream turned only to catch himself on the cars side view mirror and fell over, he landed with a grunt, he had landed really fucking badly on his ankle trying to catch himself from falling. He didn’t think much about the pain though, he had worse things to worry about. 

The creeper had taken the corner around the car and was staring right at Dream now, Dream sucked in the air around him. He was so fucked. 

Dream tried to get up again but couldn’t, he felt pain shooting up his leg from his ankle and quickly fell back down. The creeper was running up to him now, its blood leaking more out from its cut neck and some blood pouring out from his mouth a sign one of its boils were going to burst. 

Dream’s eye widened as he started to crawl backwards, he didn’t want to die like this. 

The creeper made another high pitch sound before hopping forward to jump on Dream to- 

BANG! 

The creeper fell down, beside Dream. 

Dream stared in the area that the creeper just was, just seconds before jumping. Dream blinked and then blinked again and looked down to his side. The creeper was just lying there, the top of its head was mashed- 

Dream noticed the blood quickly spilling from its head and pushed himself away, he paled. 

He looked away and turned on his knees and vomited on the ground beneath him, Dream had seen his fair share of gruesome shit but he had never seen brain banana mash- 

The panic he had didn’t mix well with the smell which made him throw up. 

Dream wiped his mouth and looked up to the house, the other male he had dragged all the way out here was standing at the door, Dream’s handgun in his hands. 

Dream eyes widened as he noticed the tears streaming down the others face, this guy had just killed something for the first time. 

Dream tried to stand up again, this time putting less weight on his sore ankle. He limped over to the other and took the gun from his hands. 

“Go back in.” Dream pushed the boy by his shoulder, the other made a weird sound like he was choking on a sob before he ran inside and Dream heard a door inside the house shut. Dream stood still for a moment as he gawked, he didn’t expect that. He entered himself and tried his best to move the chest of draws back in front of the door with his limp. He let out a shaky breath after pushing it in place. 

Dream walked up to the table in the room and placed his handgun and new knife down on it. He sat down and pulled up his trousers to check his ankle, it was red and swollen. Dream winced, he really landed on it wrong. 

Dream looked down the hallway to the shut door. He sighed, Dream couldn’t care less about how the other in the house was crying but he got up and limped to the door anyways with a knock. He got no answer of course but that didn’t stop Dream from just opening the door and entering. 

He saw in the corner of the dark room the other was just sitting there, knees pulled up as he hugged them into his own body. Dream took note of how vulnerable this male looked, Dream conflicted with himself before decided to close the door and slowly make his way over next to the other. Dream put his back up against the wall and slid down, sitting next to the other. 

It was quiet expect from the hiccups and sniffling of the crying one. 

Dream really didn’t want to console the other or anything but the other did save his life today and the best he could do was just sit here with him. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW / Slurs.
> 
> Consider following my twitter?  
> I talk about my writing and au on there!  
> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc

Dream must’ve fallen asleep while sitting beside the other male, he woke up with an  uncomfortable feeling in his neck. 

Dream rubbed his eyes with  a yawn and looked to his side to see the other wasn’t there anymore. Dream didn’t really care that he was left alone during sleeping, if the other guy didn’t want his fucking company while crying that was the other’s choice. 

He grumbled and pushed  himself up  against the wall to  stand, Dream  stretched once he was upright. 

Dream started thinking of what to do today, the two had already been here for two days. Little amount of time but that fact creepers showed up and a  possibility of those city people coming out to look for them was enough for him to know it was time to find somewhere else to stay at.

Dream left the bedroom, still limping. He went into the front area, his stuff still laying down on the table. Dream spotted his handgun and picked it up, he  examined it and thought back to when the other had saved his life. The shorter of the two said he had never killed a creeper before but  obviously knew how to handle a gun. It made Dream wonder if the other male got taught by someone, a friend? 

If so, wouldn’t the other still be with his friend...

Dream didn’t think much into it, it didn’t matter if the guy had friends out there. What mattered was how the fuck Dream was going to disperse from the other. 

He really needed to get rid of him before they ended up sticking together forever, which would be a huge fucking problem. 

Dream grabbed his bandana, it was helpful keeping sand out of his face, but he did need something for his eyes. Dream pulled the dark green bandana up to his face and pulled it around to tie it. Making sure it fit on okay by tugging on it slightly, it seemed to set in place. He then grabbed placed the handgun in his back pocket. Dream looked at the paring knife he had gotten earlier and picked it up, he didn’t really have a place for a knife, though he used to have a leather strap that held onto a lot of things but he somehow managed to lose it. He  remembers when he had his bat too. Dream never used it much other than smashing windows of shops and houses to get inside if doors wouldn’t open. 

Dream took the knife and put it through his trousers belt hoop, Dream turned quickly around to see if the knife would stay in the loop and not fall out. He felt it  jitter around a little but it stayed.

Dream finally then grabbed his bag and put it on, he fixed the hood of his hoodie so it wouldn’t be trapped under the bag. Dream then started to think how he was going to say ‘goodbye’ to the other male. 

T h i n k i ng a b o u t t h e o t h e r m a l e , w h e r e e x a c t l y w a s h e ?

Dream turned to look down the hallway, he wasn’t in the bedrooms for sure and he couldn’t be in the kitchen because he would  have heard the other moving around. 

Dream’s head snapped to the front door, the chest of draws hadn’t been moved out of the way of the door completely but it was moved enough to get the door open for someone small to fit through, someone small like the other male. 

“Your kid-” Dream eye’s widened, had the other just got up and left while Dream had slept. Did the fucker just run off?

Dream chucked to himself, he guessed he didn’t need a plan to part ways with the other anymore. The other did the job for him.

Dream walked over to the chest of draws and pulled on them, pulling them out the way of the door so he could pass through. 

Dream slipped through the door and looked around the area he was in, the other wasn’t even in the road nor had he taken then truck. Which confused Dream a little, if the other ran, why not take the truck to get  further , to benefit himself more.

Dream thought the other must have been stupid or something, in a world like this. You should take anything good as long as it helps you. It doesn’t matter if someone else had their hands on it first, you do what you need to survive and fucking take it for yourself.

Dream opened the door to the truck and got in, he pressed his foot on the  acceleration just to make sure there was still gas in it. The truck made a noise which  answered Dream’s  question in mind. Dream scanned the area around him once more while taking off his bag and putting it in the seat beside him. There was nothing else to check out and Dream saw no sign of the other walking around, the other really had just got up and left. 

Dream knew he should  have felt  relived but something but knowing the shorter just got up and left to walk into miles of no-stop sand put Dream off. Dream also knew the other didn’t bring anything with him because when Dream found him, he had nothing. 

Dream sighed, leaning his head on the wheel, this guy really was an idiot. He could’ve snatched Dream’s bag, gun and knife and even take the car to survive but no.

Dream shook his head, they weren’t friends, they were just strangers. Dream made a stupid move of helping out of the city, that’s all.

The two got out the city, got a  good couple hour away and they didn’t need each other's help anymore. Not like the other was much help to Dream anyways. 

Dream put his attention back on to getting out of this place, he steadied his grip on the wheel and started to drive back out into the sand. 

Dream feels like he’s been driving for ages, he’s slouched and keeps yawning. Clearly tired, but he didn’t feel like just  stopping the truck without finding a place to sleep in for at least a couple of hours. 

Dream keep one hand on the steering  wheel as he rubbed his eye, this is all he ever did. Drive or walk, to almost fucking anywhere.  It's what his life  consisted of, always fucking moving places. He hated it, each day was always the same, there was never anything different. 

The old world was basically the same, going back and forth from work to home, but a least he had someone  special waiting for him back home. Dream forced himself out of thinking.

He didn’t want to think of her right now.

Dream’s jaw  tightened; he had both hands back on the wheel now. 

He never wanted to think of her again, but he couldn’t help it.

He was going to spend the rest of his life with her but the world had some very fucking different plans for him apparently.

Dream was angry, angry at the world. 

Dream was always angry. 

He hated living in a repetitive live, the only thing that had changed was meeting that male. 

Dream knew it was a change in his  usual style, which was not meant to change. 

Dream couldn’t help but think back to when the other was around. It wasn’t long, but at least it was a change, even if it was for a short amount of time.

Dream was really confused to why the other ran off though. Why he just got up and left?

He was  obviously safer with  Dream; Dream showed the other male that he could protect him. Getting out of that city and killing off that one creeper- he showed the other he knew what he was doing in this shit world but he still got up and left.

Dream felt dumb, why the hell was he coming up with excuses to why the other should  have stayed!

Dream was meant to be happy the other was bloody gone! 

That’s what Dream wanted as soon as they were out of that city, yet Dream was fucking making bullshit excuses for someone he didn’t even know! 

Dream saw  a building up ahead, just one up along the  road . Dream guesses it was a gas  station or something. 

Dream slowed down and stopped the truck, Dream just sat there. Hands still on the wheel and he leaned backwards in the seat. He had a sour face on, he just needed to forget about the other. If Dream wanted to survive; he had to do it alone.

Dream grabbed his stuff in the seat beside him while pulling down his bandana, he was actually pretty pissed that he slammed the door shut when he got out the truck. 

He listened out for anyone or any creepers, though he doubted he’d find any creepers out this far. 

Dream never heard anything so he checked the front door, it opened easily and he took a quick sweep of the place. He picked up a few fruit bars, they were shoved into his bag quickly. Dream went around more and found a weird  an accessory area, he looked through it to see if he could find something for his eyes. He noticed winds were getting stronger lately and if he wanted to see and not get a bunch of sand in his eyes, he’d need something to cover them.

Dream picked up a black pair of ski googles, he tried them on and he could see  perfectly .

Dream put that into his bag too.

Dream jumped over the counter, gets on his knees, he places his bag down and put his head on it. 

Dream grumbled something before  drifting off.

“No, I don’t-” Dream sighed heavily, as he was cut off.

“Liar, you know damn well what you did!” Charlie shouted at  Dream; she pointed  an accusing finger at Dream.

He raised his hands in defence, “Charlie, I really have no fucking clue what  you're on about!” 

Charlie shook her head and became louder. 

Dream in  reaction to getting screamed at shouted back. 

“I don’t fucking know! I just got back from hanging out with-” Dream got cut off again, it was always so annoying when Charlie did that.

“Right, just ‘hanging out’, sure Dream! Go and fucking lie-” Charlie picked up a book that was on the desk next to her and threw it, “again!”

Dream hit the thrown book away from him, his eyebrow twitched as he glared at her.

“Lie? The fuck Charlie?” 

“Yes!”

Dream rubbed his face, “How!?” 

Dream had only just got home and Charlie was throwing a fit, Dream had left  earlier to hang out with some friends. A couple of friends Charlie told him not to hang out with but Dream told her; ‘you can’t control my entire life, that’s not how a  relationship works.’

“You were hanging out with that Dyke again!”

Dream narrowed his eyes at her, “Ellie is not a fucking dyke! Even if she was what does that matter!”

Charlie gawked at him, “Your joking right, she acts all like one and you said yourself you didn’t fucking feel comfortable with all this gay shit going around!”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t accept it and she fucking doesn’t act like one- you can’t act ‘lesbian’ that not a thing!” Dream shouted back. Dream was really getting fed up of this, it happened whenever he tried to get some time away from her.

“Dre-” 

Dream picked up his coat, car keys and stormed out.

Dream jumped up, waking from his sleep, hitting his head on the underside of the counter he was behind, “Awh, shit.” 

He put his hand on the bump he just got from smacking himself. 

What a shitty dream to have, maybe not spending his entire life with Charlie would’ve been a good thing. 

Dream pushed himself up from the ground and looked over the counter. The place looked the same like it did when he first got here, he never heard anything either. 

Dream grabbed his bag and pulled out his new ski goggles, he put them on and jumped over the counter. He walked back  outside; it was somewhat bright outside. The sky  consisted of yellows, oranges and pinks. The sun was rising. Which meant it was around 6 am. 

Dream headed towards the truck as he put the bag on. He jumped in and drove off. 

He hated  this; he really did. He always knew he hated the  continuous pattern of ‘stay for a day or few then move then stay for a day or few the-’ 

It was fucking annoying, but it never felt this annoying. Dream knew he was always  a very  emotional person, always letting his  emotions get the best of him. But he tried to keep certain feelings down, tried to push them away so if he ever met someone it would be easier to ignore them, let them die. 

But Dream let one person slip fucking through and he wasn’t even the one to ditch.

The truck suddenly makes an odd sound and then starts to slow.

Dream presses his foot down on the pedal he had his foot on but it never sped up. 

“No, no  no no no , shit!” Dream shouted as the truck just stopped, he started pounding his bawled fist on the  dashboard. Dream got out and ran to the front, he opened the hood. A bunch of smoke came out and flew out into the air. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” 

Dream’s shoulders dropped. 

He was going to have to walk now, and there seemed to be nothing for miles. 

But if he didn’t move, nothing would change. 

“Well, fuck me.” 

Dream kicked the trucks front and turned around, he started to walk. 

Dream felt  extremely tired,  walking was much more tiring than driving. His legs felt like jelly but he had to keep going. He couldn’t just stop in the middle of  nowhere . He really couldn’t  afford to do that for many reasons. 

Dream kept walking, holding onto the straps of his bag. He could feel the winds picking up.  It really wasn’t the best time for the truck to break down. 

Dream could see some lights appear, Dream thought maybe there was building up ahead that he could get to see after seeing the lights but then Dream remembered lights don’t just appear in  abandoned places and that’s when the lights got closer and he could hear revving. It was a bunch of cars and  motorcycles . It was a fucking road gang. 

Dream quickly turned around and started to run, Dream had no idea what the hell he was doing. 

He couldn’t out run a fucking car and he couldn’t for sure take on a group of fucking 20+ people.

Dream was fucking more screwed when that creeper went for him.

Dream kept running the other way, even though it hurt his legs. 

The road gang caught up with him and a few  motorcycles circled him, he reached for his gun but by the time he pulled it out, he felt something real heavy and sore on the back of his head before falling forward, passing out on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long, I had some writer block. 
> 
> I'm unsure of when the next chapter will be, one of my cats passed away yesterday due to a cardiac arrest.  
> Taking a break does not help me, so I still will be writing it just may take some time.

Dream blinked, he felt himself being dragged before being thrown onto a hard surface. He grunted as he made contact with the cold ground, his head was aching and he felt extremely dizzy. 

Dream tried to keep his eyes open and help himself up with his elbows, trying to stand but the dizziness was too nauseous. He felt his arms give out as he slammed back right into the ground. 

Dream woke up again for the second time, to screaming. He heard a bunch of insults being thrown around. Whoever was shouting had an accent. 

He felt limp but pushed himself up from the solid ground, he held himself up against the wall beside him. Dream put his shaky hand up to his temple and rubbed it. Whoever whacked him landed a good hit, that was something Dream would admit. 

The screaming sounded to get closer and Dream took his hand away from his face, he looked to a door in the room as it suddenly busted open. 

There was two people, one was struggling and screaming profanities while the other was trying to throw the shouting one in the room, quite roughly. 

The one swearing got an elbow to the face due to his struggle to get out the other’s grip. 

Dream eyes widen as he recognised the one who just got elbowed in the face. 

Dream, not being so happy with the scene he just witnessed, pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and pulled the brunet towards him. Dream knew pulling the other into the room that he was just locked in wasn’t the brightest idea but it was also safer because Dream didn’t know how many people were out there and if there was a quick exit, plus he was more worried about the other male he pulled in that got whacked. 

The guy who opened the door originally slammed it shut and Dream heard a click. 

The male who Dream had just pulled in was screaming so loud and thrashing around, Dream tried to keep him still. 

“Jesus! Would-” Dream was cut off by a hand slapping his face. 

Dream let go and the other dropped on the floor. 

Dream hissed at the sudden pain to his right side of his face. 

“You bloody heathens are going to murder me!”, the accent was clear now, a british one. The other turned around to point a finger at Dream, his nose bleeding. 

Dream pressed his lips together when their eyes met. 

It was the short one’s turn to recognise the other now. 

Dream huffed a laugh, “I thought you were mute or something.” 

The other reddened in the face and shut up. 

He gave a half-smile. 

“Your, uh- nose" Dream pointed to the others face. 

The shorter touched the bottom of his nose and pulled it back to see blood. The brunet just seemed to stare at the blood on his fingers. 

“Dream.” 

The other’s head snapped up to look at Dream, one eyebrow raised. 

Dream awkwardly coughed, “My name is Dream.” 

The smaller wiped his arm across his nose smearing drying blood up his arm, Dream slightly cringed. 

The other seemed to cringe too, noticing their own actions. 

“Mines George.” 

Dream sat down on the ground, George did so too. 

“Your kind of scary.” George pulled his legs up to his chest, he looked like he was trying to make himself disappear. 

Dream choked; he knew he put up a barrier for his emotions but he didn’t think it was that bad. 

Dream rubbed the back of his neck, “My bad...I guess.” 

Dream knew he could come off as a shitty person but he honestly didn’t want to get attached to anyone, he never wanted to be close to someone in a world like this. He’d be in constant fear of losing them and now Dream is starting warm up to the other, he hates it. 

Not wanting to think of being close to someone, Dream rubbed his eyes and stood up and tried to open the door that was of course locked. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Dream looked around the room for any windows or such but it was just filled with some boxes and a light source from the roof. He didn’t want to start thinking about what could happen if he waited for someone to come back and open the door. 

He didn’t know how many people were here, if they had weapons or not. 

He put his attention back on the door, Dream crouched down and looked through the key hole, checking if he could see anything. There seemed to be a long hallway with other doors. 

“We’re up on the second floor.” George muttered from his tucked position, wide eyes staring at Dream’s back, “I’ve been here before.” 

His voice was quiet, almost like a whisper. 

“Friends with these assholes?” Dream questioned, he turned away from the keyhole to see an unamused look from the other. 

“No.” George glared and untucked his arms. “I know this place because of a meeting that happened here.” 

Dream stood up. 

“A meeting?” 

George pushed himself forward, now kneeling. He crossed his arms over as he tried to think of a way to explain. 

“There are more than one road clans, I’m....apart of one?” George seemed to question himself as he looked all around the room except from Dream. 

Dream scrunched his eyebrows; he had thought about the other having friends before. So, was he friends with some people of the other road gang? 

“You know the layout then? We can work out a plan, together.” Dream seemed to dance around his words, unsure if he was sounding nice or not. 

George nibbled on his bottom lip, Dream had seen him do that before it was annoying. 

Dream let his annoyance get the best of him- “Oi, stop chewing on your lip!” 

George instantly stop biting his lower lip, and stood up quickly, obvious he got a fright. 

“So-sorry...” George let his arms drop to his sides, obviously uncomfortable. 

Dream sighed, “No, I’m sorry. Just...you know this place?” 

George nodded; he slowly came up to the door and crouched, taking his turn to look through the keyhole. Dream watched him. 

“This is the second floor, you saw the hallway. There’s a stairway at the right.” George looked away from the keyhole and looked up to Dream. “This floor isn’t guarded much, but there will be at least two at the stairs.” 

Dream nodded, showing he was listening along. 

“Your stuff will probably be in one of these room in the hallway.” 

George looked back into keyhole, his head tilting a little bit. 

“The first floor will be full of Dusts.” 

Dream leaned up the door and let his mouth fall open, “Dusts?” 

George looked at Dream again with a nod. 

“That’s what they’re called; Dusts.” 

“And this meeting you went to?” 

George stood up, “My friend and my other friend’s road gang tried to make an agreement with this one, they never accepted the terms. They had been trespassing on my friends land for ages.” 

Dream realised George had friends, other people to get back to. 

Dream’s face dropped; George had other friends. 

He didn’t want to think about that, if George had other people to get back to: that should be a good thing but Dream couldn’t help but feel upset. 

Dream pushed some of his dirty blond hair out of the way of his eyes, shaking off his thoughts. 

Dream took a minute to think, “So, we could probably take out the two at the stairs...well I can you don’t look too great at figh- Sorry!” 

George let out a little chuckled, “I’m no good at fighting, your right.” 

Dream sighed, he let his mouth run. If they were going to take out someone, Dream wants to do it. He doesn’t want to risk George getting hurt. He seems to get hurt enough. 

“Okay, how can we open this door then?”   
  
George reached for his hair pulled a few pins, longer parts of his dark hair fell out. Clearly not been cut in a while. George showed Dream the pins, “I can use this to try and push down the lock.”   
  
Dream nodded and watched George kneel down in front of the lock again.   
  
George twisted one of the hair pins till it snapped, he twisted one other into an L shape. He shoved the L shaped one in first and then the broken one.   
  
“I suppose you’ve done this before?” Dream questioned the boy, he seemed to know what he was doing really well.   
  
George stuck his tongue out in concentration, “A few times, Sap would sometimes lock me in my room.”   
  
George stopped his movements for a second.   
  
Dream sat down next to George, “Sap, is he your friend, why would he do that?”   
  
George continued trying to bust the lock, his brown eyes seemed watery to Dream. Dream didn’t like that.   
  
“Yeah, Sapnap. He...didn’t like me seeing the real world.” George pushed hair out from his face, its length was getting int the way of seeing. Dream reached up and gently pushed George’s locks up and out his face and kept his hand there.   
  
George took a quick peak at Dream and Dream offered a small smile back.   
  
“Sapnap worried about me, too much. But he has his reasons too, I’m a bit too clumsy for my own good and I have a-”   
  
George cut himself off.   
  
“All we ever did was argue, all the time. I hated the fact all I did was spend all my time in my room. I wanted to at least see what the world had become.”   
  
Dream never interrupted, he really wanted to know about George, Dream knew he was doomed at this point. He wanted to keep George by his side.   
  
“And one day, I picked the lock and ran...”, George let go of one of the pins and wiped his eyes.   
  
“I didn’t know where I was and I was so scared-” Geroge hiccupped.   
  
Dream quickly pulled George into a hug, it surprised not only George but Dream himself.   
  
It had been a long time since Dream had touched anyone like this, Dream held tight onto George as he felt George do the same.   
  
“I just- I just wanted to show Sap I could be strong- I ju-”   
  
Dream patted George’s hair and shushed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider following my twitter, I'm half way to a hundred and it would be pretty rad if I got to that goal. 
> 
> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc
> 
> Other than that, thank you for waiting and reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update, just bc I took so long posting!

George pulled out from the hug and wiped his reddened eyes, “Sorry.”   
  
Dream shook his head.    
  
“Don’t be.”   
  
George shifted so that he was back to facing the door, he got back to trying to unlock the door.   
  
Dream sat and started to think of how they were going to get around this, how they were going to get out.    
  
“Guns? Do they have guns?” Dream looked at George as he shook his head.   
  
“They have few here, more at their official base but they’re fucking insane and will throw themselves at you.”   
  
Dream put his hand back in George’s hair to keep it out of his face, George muttered a small ‘thank you’ and Dream then back to thinking.    
  
George said there was two at the stairs, if Dream was thinking logically at least one of two would have a gun so he would have to make a quick decision on who he grabs. One way was; he’d grab the one with the gun, use their body as shield and take the gun off him and shoot the other or he’d grab the one without the gun and use their body as shield and let the one with the gun shoot the person Dream was using as a shield.   
  
Downstairs would be full of people, if Dream picks up the gun the other has or use his own If they find his stuff before going downstairs; Dream and George’s best bet was to run through all of them and shoot anyone who got too close for comfort.    
  
A sudden click interrupted Dream’s thoughts.   
  
Dream blinked and looked over to George.   
  
George was looking right back at Dream and a smile erupted on George’s face.   
  
Dream decided that he wanted to see that expression on George’s face every day from now on.   
  
“I got it!”    
  
Dream pulled his hand away from George’s hair and smirked, “Well done.”   
  
Both of them stood, Dream pushed George behind him and opened the door which actually opened. Dream poked his head out and checked the hallway, a few doors and to the right a double set of doors, the stairway.    
  
Dream stepped out, no one seemed to come to the sudden open of the door that was previously locked.    
  
Dream quickly ran up to the first door he saw, he tried to do it quietly as possible. He grabbed the handle and entered, took a quick scan and saw a mangled body.   
  
George tried to come in but Dream quickly shut the door, “Nothing in there.”   
  
Dream pulled George away and they checked the next room which was filled with many bags. Dream sighed, he started looking at all the bags. Dream wondered how many people this road gang had swiped to get this many, he thought back to what he saw in the other room. He wondered what could have maybe happened to George if he wasn’t here, Dream shivered not wanting to think about it. He didn’t want to think about what horrid things could happen to George.   
  
Dream moved a bag out of his way and he saw a familiar green bag, he quickly grabbed it and lifted it to show George who was searching another area.    
  
George dropped the bag he was moving and got back to Dream’s side.    
  
Dream was looking through the bag. He pulled out his ski goggles and his bandana but no gun.    
  
“What the fuck, these fuckers-” He muttered angrily.    
  
Dream put on his stuff and grabbed George by the wrist, “I want you to say in here, don’t come out unless I come back. Ok?”   
  
George nodded.    
  
“I need a verbal answer Geroge.”   
  
“I won’t leave unless you come back.”   
  
“Good.”    
  
Dream left the room closing the door behind him and quickly moved up to the double doors, Dream clenched the handle, taking a moment to breath before rushing in and grabbing whatever he saw first which happened to be a guy. Dream wrapped an arm around the guy’s neck.    
  
There was a loud bang, a gunshot. The guy Dream was holding went limp and Dream noticed he was holding a gun so he quickly snatched it off the limp body while still hiding behind it and shot the other in front of him.   
  
Dream heard some shouting and someone running up the stairs, Dream aimed and wasted to time hitting whoever it was running.    
  
Dream ran back inside; the gunshots would have alarmed everyone in the building and he and George needed to get out now!    
  
Dream busted open the door to the room George was in, George jumped, getting up from the ground. Dream grabbed his hand and ran back out the room and towards the stairs.   
  
“We  gotta leave now!”   
  
Dream pulled George down the stairs, he looked to his left and saw a bunch of Dusts. Dream changed his direction and ran down the right way. George seemed to be  struggling to keep up even with Dream pulling him along but Dream couldn’t stop so that George could regain his balance. Dream kept running, keeping his grip on George and the gun he had picked up.   
  
Dream heard more shouts but ignored it and kept his focus on open path ways.    
  
Someone tried to block his way but Dream was having none of it and took a  hard-swift left, he pushed some door open that led to a big  entrance room. Many people were there and Dream thought nothing of it and kept running. Dream saw from the corner of his eye someone  jump over a table and he took no chances and raised the gun he had a shot it.   
  
George was making some weird sounds, panting mixed with  squealing . George was trying to catch his breath while screaming for his life.    
  
Dream saw something heading his way, he stopped in his tracks and grabbed George by the head and made them both  duck down. A clash of glass was heard and Dream pulled George back up, George’s eyes  travelled over to the sound.    
  
“It was a  molotov ! Dream, a  molotov !” George shouted at Dream, he looked behind him and saw fire.   
  
George wasn’t kidding when he said these people were insane, Dream gripped harder on George’s wrist and ran faster if he could.    
  
They were coming up for a door, there was a window on the door and Dream could see outside, he could see sand and a few bikes. Dream quickly came up with a plan to just steal one of the bikes and get out of here.   
  
Dream went to grab the door’s handle but he felt his grip on George slip.   
  
Dream turned around to see someone had grabbed George, he was screaming.    
  
“Get off him!” Dream ran back to help George but he himself got grabbed, Dream struggled  against the person who held onto him.    
  
He could hear George still screaming words, but Dream was trying to kick off the man who held him down. He kicked and tried to grab the Dust by the arm to pull him off, Dream was trying his best to get back to George when suddenly Dream heard George again but this time it sounded like bloody murder, Dream’s head snapped back over to George.    
  
Dream watched as blood spluttered out of George’s mouth, Dream looked down to his stomach and saw a pool of blood spilling.   
  
Dream glared at the Dust  on top of George and started seeing red, he screamed- 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc


	6. Chapter 6

Dream could barely remember what happened, he remembers seeing red, he remembers thrashing around, he remembers feeling so livid, he remembers picking up George, he remembers starting up a motorcycle, he remembers seeing George’s pained face-   
  
“FUCKING BASTARD! YOU BITCH!”   
  
“GET FUCKING OFF ME!”   
  
“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!   
  
“ARGHH-”   
  
“BASTARD, BASTARD, BASTARD!”   
  
It had happened all so quick, Dream had never been so mad since the day he found out his had just got up and left him and his mum all alone. It was too quick for Dream to process; he didn’t want to think about it. Dream needed to get George somewhere safe, now.   
  
  
Dream carried George bridal style; he held a death grip on George like he wasn’t strong enough to even hold the smaller boy.   
  
Dream kept speaking, talking, telling George to stay awake.    
  
George had tears running down his face, George was in a lot of pain   
  
Dream was panicking, George was no longer replying to him. He just was hanging in Dream’s arms, gasping for air, his eyebrows were crosses with pain and his eyes were barely open.    
  
Dream looked around; he had parked in some pass by town. Dream could see from his view a few shops, he wanted to get in one that could have some medical supplies. Damn himself for never picking any up ever!   
  
Dream looked back down to George, who was still stifling in his own breath, a sign he was still alive but Dream kept talking to him. Dream was so terrified.   
  
He looked behind as he saw pilling gust of white and greys from far away, snow. It was nowhere time near for winter but the weather was fucked up in this weather. Dream was going to be stuck inside in one of these buildings in a few hours with George, he cursed. Out of all times, a snow storm decides to show up when George is dying.   
  
Dream ran to one of the shops, doing his best to not hurt George even more as he already was.    
  
Dream ran right into the first lane in the shop, carefully placed George down on the ground. He muttered small ‘ sorry’s as George groaned.   
  
“Just wait here, okay?” Dream took his coat off as he tried to make a make-shift pillow for George.   
  
Blood was still spilling out George’s mouth, a hand lay where the wound was but the hand barely stopped the gushing blood. Not only was George covered in his own blood so was Dream.   
  
Dream stood up and ran, he went up and down lanes trying to find anything that could help George. Upon coming into a ‘medical’ area it was dry. Clearly raided a few years ago. Dream still looked at the selves, a few pill boxes and bottles were there. He grabbed them and shakes them, no sound coming from any of them.    
  
Dream throws some of them to the ground but he wasted no time to look at other selves. Dream ran into another lane to a bunch of clothing. He grabbed a random shirt and ran back to George.   
  
Dream hurried back to George, throwing himself on the ground really quick, he leaned on his knees as he wondered how he would do this.    
  
“George?”    
  
George hummed back to show he was still alive.   
  
“I’m going to move you around a lot, so sorry in advance.” Dream used his hands to pull around the shirt he had picked up, it tore in two and Dream pulled it again to make a straight strip of cloth.    
  
Dream hesitated before pulling George’s blood-soaked shirt up, George hissed.   
  
“Sorry-”   
  
Dream inspected the cut, it was deep and still pouring of blood, around George's waist seemed to be some scars but it was hard to get a good look with the amount of blood covering the area, it looked dangerous, like it needed stitches but Dream nor had the skills or materials to stich George up. Dream took the cloth in his hand, he put his hand underneath George’s back to lift him up from the ground so that George’s back arched. Dream needed to wrap the cloth around George’s waist, so he slipped it under his back and pulled it under again to create a bandage, not pulling it tight yet, then let him lay down again.   
  
George let out a squeal, obviously in pain from the sudden change in position.    
  
“Oh god, oh shit-” Dream swore over and over again.   
  
George was still crying, the pain never stopped, it only got worse it seemed like.   
  
Dream grabbed each end of the ripped shirt, he was going to have to pull them together to tighten it.   
  
“George, this is going to really hurt.”    
  
Dream gave it a few seconds so that George could process what was just said to prepare himself.   
  
George sucked in some air as he nodded, silent tears spilling.   
  
“Okay...3....2.... 1!- ”   
  
Dream pulled tight and George shrieked so loud but Dream needed to keep pulling to tie it together and make sure it held the wound closed to the best of cloths’ ability.    
  
George wailed, tears spilling more.    
  
Dream started to knot it as George’s cries flattened. Dream let go of the tie he just made and looked at George.   
  
“George?”   
  
Dream breath hitched, “George?!”    
  
Dream shook him, trying to wake him.    
  
More panic struck in him as George didn’t wake, he stopped shaking George and pulled him up into his arms as George lay limp. His own eyes pricked with tears as he held George close.   
  
“George, c’mon buddy, wake up...”   
  
Dream didn’t want to lose George, he had spent too much time on his own for only just to have a few days with George, he didn’t want to go back to living life on his own again. It was so repetitive, he didn’t want to live a repetitive life anymore, he wanted George with him, he wanted to stay with George.    
  
Dream hated the way George was too small, had dark doe eyes, bit his own lips, curled up when he was cold or feeling scared, the way he was so clumsy, would be silent at times, how pale he looked, the innocent looks on his face.   
  
Dream hated that he loved all those things about George, he felt dumb for getting so attached to someone over a few days. He has been so lonely after all these past few years. He swore survive no matter what so he could keep moving, he swore never stay in one place so he never met anyone, he swore he’d make no friends so that he would have to grieve over a lost one ever again.    
  
He never wanted to feel close to anyone again, he thought it would ruin his survival chances but it only awaked the feelings that he had stored away for so long.   
  
But it also proved his fucking point of keeping his three rules, he fucked up, he fucking lost another person.   
  
  
  
Dream felt George’s chest rise and fall, a sign of breathing.    
  
Dream let out a choked laugh, he smiled and hugged George any possibly closer.   
  
George was alive, he had just passed out from the over growing pain.   
  
Dream pet George’s hair as he whispered  ”I’m going to protect you no matter what.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW / slight mentions of abuse.  
> Homophobia.
> 
> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc

5 years earlier.    
  
  
  
Dream sat down at the noisy table filled with other boys, his friends.    
  
“Dream!” “Mate!” “ Its our boy!”   
  
Multiple call outs came from the table when Dream arrived. Dream had known these boys for years, Dream spent all of his time with them. He enjoyed their company. They all shared interests, hobbies and went to the same pitch together.   
  
“And she was basically begging for it!” Murray laughed out, a dark ginger who never seemed to stop talking about girls.    
  
Murray was a type of guy to try to get with any girl he saw, smoke weed in the bathroom with Jackie, didn’t care about his grades, pretty fucking annoying at times but who wasn’t?   
  
“Murray, wasn’t Hannah literally the girl I got with last week?” Jackie smacked Murray on the back of his head.   
  
“Yeah, so?” Murray smacked Jackie back, those two had a close friendship. They had the same girls for hook-ups. “She isn’t your girlfriend or anything!”    
  
Jackie was a dark-haired guy with bright blue eyes, pretty cocky and never knew when to stop on a joke.    
  
“What is it with you two and girls?” Blair shook his head, blond highlighted curls falling down, he had slight freckles that showed through his tanned skin.   
  
Blair was the quieter one out them all, but knew the most about everything that went on around their circle and everything around them. Blair also didn’t take any shit from anyone.    
  
“Girls has tits! That’s what!” A  british voice called out, a brunet with green eyes.    
  
Dream looked up from his coke he was drinking, looking right at the one who just shouted ‘tits’. Harry smiled at the group in front of him, more directed at Dream. “You like tits, Dream, don’t you?”   
  
Harry was just playing with him, it was the type of banter they two shared, not having many  hookups as the other boys but joking about them. Dream turned a shade of red, not at the fact they were talking about girls but that smile. Dream shrugged.    
  
Dream laughed, taking another sip from his coke, “Sure!”   
  
“What do you mean sure?”, Jackie bumped shoulders with him, “You should be gushing over girls!”   
  
“I’m not a horny shit like you!” Dream bumped shoulders back with Jackie, Jackie laughed and started playfully punching him. Dream started swinging back, laughing with Jackie.    
  
Harry got up from his seat, pulling Jackie away from Dream. “You remember what happened last time you started throwing punches, Jackie?”    
  
Jackie grunted, “Yeah, the teachers kicked us out from the cafeteria.”    
  
“Then move, take my seat.” Harry shoved Jackie into the other seat that was close to Murray. Harry sat in the chair that he had just kicked Jackie out of.    
  
Harry turned and smiled at Dream, and Harry took the drink from his hand, he took a sip from it.   
  
Dream just watched him, smiling back.    
  
The boys kept talking in the background but Dream was only focusing on Harry right now.    
  
“So, you free tomorrow?” Harry gave the tin of coke back.    
  
Dream took it, “Yeah, I am, why?”    
  
“Well-”   
  
“Pussies! you’ll never believe what kind of news I’ve got!”    
  
A pair of hands slammed down onto the table they were all sitting at, a tall raven leaned over all the others sitting, a shit eating grin on his face.   
  
“The hell, Bryson?”   
  
Bryson pulled out one of the seats and sat down, “So, we all know Kyle, right?”    
  
Everyone at the table muttered replies of yes’    
  
“Fucking gay.”    
  
“What? No way?”    
  
“Joking?”   
  
Dream scrunched his eyebrows, so did Harry’s.   
  
“The hell does that matter?” Harry throw his hands out, shaking his head at Bryson.   
  
Murray laughed, “What does it matter, the guy likes dick!”    
  
Blair chuckled, “Kyle? Would have never guessed.” He sounded sarcastic, like he already knew.   
  
Dream didn’t join in to this new conversation, he wasn’t comfortable with speaking about it.   
  
Harry grabbed Dream’s wrist.  ”Fuck off Bryson.”   
  
“What?”    
  
Harry started to pull Dream away, away from the table.   
  
“The fuck did I do?”    
  
Harry kept pulling Dream away.   
  
“Harry!”   
  
  
  
  
Dream and Harry sat on the pitch, commotion of other students in the background.   
  
“Fucking Bryson.”    
  
Dream sighed, “I don’t get why your so annoyed.”   
  
“Because Bryson keeps fucking going on about anything that comes up gay!”    
  
Dream put his head into his hands, “And?”   
  
“He’s homophobic, like the rest of the group!”   
  
“So, what does that matter to you?” Dream was confused, he knew Harry was a good guy but this conversation was way off limits to Dream.   
  
Dream was unsure if he should even be listening rather than speaking back.    
  
“The fuck do you mean what does it matter-”   
  
Harry pushed up from the bench he was sitting on, “What does it fucking matter?!”   
  
Dream stood up too, “God, Harry-”   
  
Dream didn’t know why Harry was pissed off so much, he wanted to talk through it with Harry but at the same time he didn’t, he was scared to talk about anything about ‘it’.   
  
The bell went off in the distance, signalling lunch was over. Students could be heard entering back into school from a distance.    
  
“We shouldn’t be talking about this!” Dream waved his hands around.   
  
Harry gawked at him, “not be talking about this, fuck Dream!”    
  
“My  fath -”   
  
“Yeah, it’s always your fucking father, isn’t it!”   
  
Dream rapidly weaved his fingers through his blond locks. ” Its not right,  its not something-”   
  
“We shouldn’t be talking about what, Dream?”, Harry glared a Dream , ”About people who are gay?”   
  
“Harry-”   
  
“Because your dad doesn’t like them and told you whenever he was drunk that-”   
  
“Shut up!”   
  
Harry grabbed Dream’s shirt and pulled him forward.    
  
“Or what Dream?”, Harry scowled, “Fucking admit it already.”   
  
“Admit what?”    
  
“Admit that you fucking like me.”   
  
Dream pushed Harry away, Harry wasn’t...wrong.    
  
And Dream hated that Harry wasn’t wrong.    
  
“I- fuck, Harry”   
  
“What, Dream, what?”    
  
“We can’t be-” Dream was struggling with his words.    
  
“Together? Because your scared of your dad?”   
  
“Harry, shit...”    
  
Harry sighed, and grabbed Dream’s shoulders, pulled him in and kissed him.   
  
  
  
It wasn’t the best kiss in the world, but it was better than his first few kisses with the girls he had been out with but, sometimes Dream also wished that they hadn’t kissed, it would have saved him from his own thoughts, it would have saved him from the confusion that he felt.   
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for taking so long! 
> 
> College has started! I had my first day on Monday, it went well and I'm already acquainted with the others in my class.   
> The only downfall is there is this one guy from my school that I know, let me just say it simply; 'Total Creep'   
> Wouldn't stop calling me cute and touching me, he thinks we're friends. LOL
> 
> Anyways, once again sorry for the wait.
> 
> https://twitter.com/ChaoticRqcc

2 months earlier. 

“Sap!” 

Banging. 

“Sap, oh my god! SAP!” 

More banging. 

“SAPNAP!” 

George continued to bang on the door in front of him, shouting and banging on the door for the man who just locked him in just minutes ago. 

“SAP- PLEASE” 

George hated this; it had always been like this. Being in this dumb coloured blue room, with some shades of yellows. It pissed him off. 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” 

George laid his head on the door, he put his hand back on the handle and tried to pull it open. It wouldn’t budge, of course. Sapnap had locked it, like every other goddamn time. 

“SAPNAP!” 

He didn’t want to be in this room, he wanted to be outside. It was fucking boring in here. 

George shift his head slightly to look at the room he was in, a bed, a wardrobe, a shelf of books that had been replaced by new ones since George told Sapnap he had read the set he got last week. There was also a window that had also been locked. George banged his fist on the door again, he was so annoyed. 

“Sapnap...” 

George sighed, “Sap, come on, please.” 

Tears welled up in George’s eyes, he was actually pissed but when was he not when he got locked in this room every day. 

Sapnap was obviously used shouting by now, it happened the first hour George was within the locked room. George knew that Sapnap was just being protective over him, George was weak and couldn’t really defend himself and George never thought things over, he was just reckless. Sometimes, George would just let his mouth run, not always bad things but he couldn’t help it when he really wanted to say things and other times, he’d just sit in silence for hours. 

It also didn’t help that George could get sick easily, especially this new era where the weather was worse. George had always caught whatever was going around, always got too dizzy, always being so clumsy, always feeling like he was going to threw up his entire stomach but he had lived most his life like that. Some days he was okay, others he wasn’t 

That was what Sapnap probably feared the worst, George catching something from the outside and not be able to nurse him back to health. Sapnap had let him come out once, for a meeting and George was ill for the next week. 

George left the door and fell forwards onto his bed, face first in the covers. 

Him and Sapnap were literally having a normal conversation before George stupidly asked him about maybe going out with Sapnap and Bad on their daily scouts at some point but Sapnap got angry and then George got angry... 

Sapnap was fed up of George asking to go outside. 

And George was fed up of Sapnap keeping him inside. 

It was a cycle, and it was annoying. 

But, in reality, George could do nothing about it yet he still tried. 

George remembers when Bad was over once and both him and Sapnap were arguing, Bad didn’t entirely agree with Sapnap keeping George in all the time, Bad had convinced Sapnap to take George to the meeting and Sapnap was shouting at Bad about how getting George ill was his fault. 

Bad knew what Sapnap knew but Bad thought maybe if he got out more George would at least get better dealing with- 

George didn’t want to think about it, he groaned into the covers and put his arms over the top of his head, he was never going to see the outside properly unless he did it himself instead of trying to convince Sapnap never changed anything. 

1 week earlier. 

George coughed, he throats hurt badly and so did his right eye. He knew that his nose was bleeding, he could feel the trickling of blood flowing over his lips and down his chin. 

George regrets what he did, Sapnap was right. George wasn’t ready for this world and may never be but it didn’t matter now because he was stuck here in this weird looking city. 

George had managed to pick the lock on the window and jumped from there and ran off, all he wanted to do was look around but there was nothing but sand and so he had kept walking to at least find something interesting but soon he had become lost, he never meant for this to happen all the directions looked the same when he tried to backtrack, that’s how George ended up being chased by a bunch of psychopaths, he’d call them; they all looked so blood thirsty. It was terrifying when they got a hold of him; the stuff they were saying to him was nothing anyone should have to hear. 

He kicked one of them in the shin before running again and finding the room he was currently in, he wished he never left and was back with Sapnap, Bad and the others. 

George heard the door open and he panicked, fear struck upon his own face. 

George’s first thought was to grab anything he could around him to protect himself, this male who just walked in could be with the others who were chasing him. George quickly saw the guy point a gun at him though, he filched and stopped dead in his tracks. He really didn’t want to get shot. 

George and the other kept staring at each other, George felt like he was going to pass out any minute. He looked away, staring at the ground, wincing. 

A few seconds passed as he felt something at his nose, he looked back up and saw mucky mud yellow eyes in front of him. The male was wiping George’s nose with something. 

George was so confused; this guy randomly had a change of heart or something. 

But then he heard those words, “Can you stand?” 

1 hour earlier. 

George felt the ground beneath him, it was cold but ever part of him felt cold anyways. 

He stared at the roof above him, dark patches taking over his sight. 

It hurt, so fucking much, it hurt more than when Sapnap and him would argue, it hurt more than when his mother would shout drunken words at him, it hurt more than when his ex would grab onto him to tightly, it hurt more than he hurt himself. 

But at the same time, he could barely feel it. It felt like everything was going so slow, the echoing sounds of footsteps running through the building. It sounded so much more far away than it really was. 

The feeling of blood felt odd on his fingers, it was icky and felt like paint slipping through his fingers. Like, the old kind of paint, still usable but sticky and gloopy. 

It didn’t feel like he was dying, but he knew it was coming. 

He heard the footsteps come to a stop. 

He heard his name so slightly; he knew Dream was around so he hummed back. It hurt his throat. 

He heard a few other words, but then he felt his hand being moved and his shirt being pulled up. It was a light touch, he hissed. 

George suddenly felt a push under his back and suddenly his sight came back, he let out a squeal like sound. It hurt, but he could barely process it. 

George’s head was spinning, the tears stung at his eyes. 

He heard more words, something like a countdown and a brutal force to his stomach. 

It was what brought him all back to this world, it hurt so much. He could feel the pain more than ever. He coughed and screamed, his tears pouring more. He felt his breath quickening, he tried to move, he wanted to grab onto Dream. 

He wailed, mouth moving. He wanted Sapnap. 

God, he never going to get to say sorry to Sap.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda a filler. 
> 
> I start college full time next week, I start a 9am and end at 4pm- no longer in for only Mondays and Fridays. 
> 
> I'm going to try and set up a plan for updates. Try making them longer each chapter and updating at least at the end of the week.

Dream hadn’t slept, he still had George in his arms. 

He couldn’t sleep, he needed to keep an eye on George. 

Dream realized he’s made a friend now, that George is his friend. Though it will take some time getting used to Dream knew he couldn’t leave George behind at all now. He caressed his thumb over George’s cheek bone, the bruise around George’s eye was healing. He remembers when he first met him and his face was a mess. It was starting to fade, slowly starting to turn a pale-ish yellow. 

Dream felt bad, for how he first treated George, but it wouldn’t have turned out this way if he didn’t. 

George had been out for a few hours now; Dream knew he’d wake soon; having a cut that deep would make you go out like a light. George needed proper stiches; Dream needed to find somewhere that had the kit to stich George up. Dream has honestly no skill in doing so, but he needed to do something better than a piece of ripped shirt holding George together to not bleed out on the ground. 

Dream looked up and towards the windows, it was starting to become sunrise. 

George had friends, George had people out here, road gangs. Maybe Dream could find them. They did run from the Dusts’ base, maybe, just maybe outside their territory was George’s friend's territory. It was worth a shot to just drive straight ahead; Dream remembers seeing spots that looked like markers, probably marking territory out of all things- if Dream could pass them, he’d be out of the Dusts’ area. 

Dream would leave when George is awake though, thinking about George waking, he stirred. 

George opened his eyes and winced, “Hi...” 

Dream let out a shallow laugh, “Hey.” 

Dream pushed George’s hair out the way, “You good?”, Dream helped George sit up while his face twisted with pain. George nodded. 

Dream raised his eyebrow, “Your face says otherwise.” 

George looked up to Dream and gave a small smile, “It’ll be fine.” 

Dream doubted that, he and George both knew that it wasn’t going to be fine until he got stiches of some kind. 

Dream had gotten George on his feet and Dream stared at George, George’s face was paler than usual but his doe eyes were still so soft and full- though the bruise was annoying to see around his eye. 

“You wanna find your friend?” 

George’s face changed it looked conflicted then really happy and then confused, he seemed to be having a lot of thoughts. 

“Sap will be mad at me.” 

Dream stuttered, “I-” 

Dream swung his arm under George’s legs and picked him up. 

“Maybe, but he’s probably more worried about you than mad. You’ll get a lecture for running away most likely.” 

George wrapped his arms around Dream’s neck, “That’s Bad’s job.” 

“Who-” 

“Another friend.”, George smiled and leaned into Dream. “What’s your plan then to find them? I can help.” 

Dream carried George around the building, heading towards the doors, “Yeah, you’ve been around here before? Right?” 

“The dusts’ base, yeah, this shop. I don’t recognize.” 

Dream pushed the doors open and walked towards the motorcycle. 

“You stole one of their bikes?!” 

Dream laughed, “Well, couldn’t just run, could I?” 

“Dream, it's got a certain design!” 

“We’ll pick up another car on the way!” 

George gave Dream a weird look, “you’d be lucky to even out run...drive them?” 

Dream stopped walking towards the bike and looked down to George, Dream never thought about that. Of course, Dusts will be searching for them, there will be dusts’ around their outposts and shit. 

Dream shook his head, “I can deal with it.” 

“Wha-” 

Dream plopped George down onto the bike, George scrunched his eyebrows. 

“Bastard.” 

Dream just smiled at him, “Really, I can.” 

Dream watched as George swung his leg around to the other side to sit properly on the motorbike. Dream sighed, he ran his hair through his hands, all he could come up with was rushing them. Just like how they ran. It was better than any other idea he had; it was only the two of them. Maybe, there was a post not being looked after or apart of their area that was barely touched. 

Dream sat in front of George, he looked over his shoulder to watch George already wrap his arms around his own waist. 

Dream felt George hold on tight, Dream silently thanked that George did so. 

Dream started up the bike, the rev loud and present. 

“I don’t know what direction it is, but I remember a junction from when Bad drove us here.” 

Dream hummed, a roadway. It was something to go off of. 

Dream gripped the handles, let's hope he’d just go the right way by some odd off chance.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my first full-week was hectic, me and my friends reported to my lecturer about the 'guy'. He had gotten worse over time and decided it would be a good idea to follow one of my friends home and call her pet names and touch her constantly; he also kept touching me, trying to pull at my skirts and calling me cute. 
> 
> He also thought it would be a nice conversation to ask me about my gender, due to me wearing skirts ig. 
> 
> Hopefully after this gets sorted, (hopefully him getting removed from the course.), I can go back to writing more often.

Present. 

Dream stopped and put his hands onto George’s shoulders, he was a bit worried about George’s shuffling, always had since he met the boy. He felt the boy under his hands tense, he wondered if he was feeling ill again or was hurting. 

It had been a few days since the dusks incident, though they got out of their area, neither he or George knew which way to go. Dream didn’t blame George for not exactly knowing, as he only came out once during a car ride. George explained to Dream about how much everything looked the same, and once again, Dream understood. Of course, it all looked the same, it was nothing but continuous sand hills and fast plains of sad. 

“Does it hurt again?” 

Dream knew he did a shit job of patching George up; they had stopped at some houses they had come across and found a first aid-kit in one of the kitchen cupboards. Dream had also found a box under a bed in the only bedroom from the whole house, it had a bunch of knitting and sewing stuff in it. Dream stared to get an idea of who may have used to live here, someone of old age. The decorations and furniture looked like something he would’ve found in his Gran’s when he was younger, the lamps defiantly did with its weird shiny fake gems on them. While checking other rooms, into the bathroom his idea was answered as he entered the bathroom, an old lady was on the floor, long gone. The smell was sudden as he opened the door, it wasn’t as gross as other things he had seen, but he really didn’t want to look through the room. 

When Dream had gone back downstairs with the stuff he had found, he made sure to let George know he had no clue was he was doing and George’s advice was- 

“Just pull the open wound together!”, clearly, Goerge having absolutely no clue what Dream was meant to do either. So, the stab wound right now was messily pulled together with, the not so good of thread that Dream had found in the sewing kit, it was a bright pink coloured thread but it was better than nothing. He had also wrapped the bloody ripped shirt back over it. 

George smiled and slightly shook his head, “Not exactly, just dizzy.” 

Dream nodded, rubbing George’s shoulders. He might have been carrying a sour face but he cared about George. “Will you be fine riding?”, Dream wanted to make sure that George was able to travel. He knew he did a shit job on the stiches, and that was affecting George but if he hadn’t used the materials Dream had found...George would be dead right now. 

“Mhmm.” 

Dream sighed, he let go of his shoulders and rubbed his hair, he returned to walking to the bike. 

“Just make sure you hold on tight then.” Dream muttered as he sat on the bike, feeling George sit behind him and wrap his arms around Dream’s waist. 

Dream had been riding for a while now, and the sand was now starting to get heavy, Dream was fully aware that he went the way that was heading straight to the sand storm. George said something about when he and his friends had arrived, they parked outside in the back. 

Dream remembers leaving through the backdoors with George, or well, what he thought he left through the backdoors. He assumed since all of the bikes when he saw when he run. 

So, Dream kept heading the opposite direction from the place he left from. 

Dream just hoped he’d run into one of the two bike gangs George told him about, or find a base sometime soon. They had been moving for a long time now, barely ever stopping because Dream really wanted to get George back to his friends. 

It probably wasn’t the best idea due to George’s condition but it also was more ideal to ger further away from the dusks. 

Dream felt George lean more up against him but his arms not so tight around him, Dream immediately tried to pull over, making a stop in the middle of the sand storm. When Dream stopped, George fell to the side, Dream managed to catch him. 

“You dumbass.” 

“I’m just a bit...dizzy”, George’s words were slurred. 

“No shit Sherlock, you should’ve said you were feeling faint than just ‘dizzy’” 

Dream got off the bike while keeping his arms around George, once he stood, he fixed his arms around George onto his waist and he sat down on the ground with him. Putting George on his lap while having his back leaned up against the bike. 

“Just take a nap, maybe we can wait out the storm a bit for it to lessen up a little.” 

George just hummed; Dream knew he was in pain. The stiches were shit, Dream kept reminding himself that, he just kept wishing he was able to do something more. Dream held onto George more as he felt George relax into him, he felt George’s head fall into the crook of his neck as Dream looked through his googles towards the millions of little grains flying by.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I met a girl today after a week of snapping her, she taught me how to ride a skateboard and omg I had no clue it was so easy. 
> 
> Plus, she's really pretty gnjrdgotrgjhoiyg
> 
> Anyways-

Tommy had never been so worried in his life, one-minute Tubbo was with him and then the next he wasn’t. Tommy and Tubbo had gotten stuck out in the sand storm together, he should’ve listened to Tubbo, he should of took his hand like he told him to. Tommy was an idiot; he knew this but he wouldn’t admit it out loud. 

Tommy was whipping his head in every direction, hands around his mouth calling out for Tubbo. 

“Tubbo! Tubbo!” 

Wilbur was so going to kill him. 

Not only did he and Tubbo go out further than the line Wilbur had set up, he lost Tubbo. 

Tommy was mad at himself; he really should have listened to Tubbo, they were aruging about what way to go back and to be honest Tubbo even told him not to go over the line but Tommy kept telling him to ‘stop being such a ‘mommy’s boy’ to Wilbur and grow up’. 

“Tubbo, god damnit!” 

Tommy kept walking, despite the wind blowing in his face, the loose glasses he had on barely protected him face from the sand spitting into his face, though he could care less. He needed to find Tubbo, alive. 

Tommy struggled pushing against the wind, he wiped his eyes under the glasses and looked up to see a building, not just any building but home. 

“Shit.” 

Tommy had come back, without Tubbo. Which meant Tubbo was the other way. 

Tommy looked down to his dirty wrecked shoes to see the badly red chalk line, he looked back up to see Wilbur running up to him with an angry look on his face, “Tommy! Why’d you and Tubbo go over the line- wait" 

Wilbur’s face completely dropped. 

“Where’s Tubbo?” 

“Wilbur, I swear I did nothing! We just wanted to go over the line and we got lost and forgot about the storm coming in! I didn’t lose him; he ran away from me. It's his fault!” 

Wilbur shook his head, “We both know that Tubbo is more responsible than you, I’m more worried about Tubbo than rather being angry at you right now!” 

“But he did-“ 

“Tommy, we need to find Tubbo.” 

Wilbur was right, Tommy was scared of getting in trouble and quickly blamed the situation on Tubbo. They needed to find Tubbo before it was too late. Tommy doesn’t know how he could live with himself if they couldn’t find Tubbo in the next hour, because it would be his fault, he’s the one that pressured Tubbo to come over the line. 

“Should I get the rope?” 

Wilbur nodded. 

‘The rope’ was just like any other rope but this is what they used during sand storms if any of them went out into it, (mostly Wilbur). The rope attached to the building they made home out of, Tommy ran over and lift it up from the ground making sure it was still secure on the pipe pulling at it. After checking it, he ran back over, the rope was fairly, very long. 

“Will!” 

Tommy gave Wilbur the rope who quickly took it and wrapped it tightly around his waist, insuring it wouldn’t come off his waist. Wilbur had this determined face on, his face always changed to this look when he was going to get something no matter what, and in this case, it was getting Tubbo back. 

Wilbur looked at Tommy, “Can I trust you to pull back when I find Tubbo, you won’t run off, you’ll stay still?” 

Tommy nodded so quickly, ”We'll be talking about this when I get back, don’t think you are off the hook, got it?” 

Before Tommy could even fight back Wilbur had already disappeared into the raging sand. 

Tommy watched the rope move, it kept going. Tommy knew him and Tubbo went far out, but he didn’t think that far. It was also obvious Wilbur was running. Tommy put his nails in his mouth, chewing, he really screwed up. Didn’t he? 

“Tommy! Look at this!” 

Tommy ignored Tubbo’s calls, Tommy was busy right now and Tubbo should know better than shouting out in some random shopping centre. 

“Tommy!” 

“Oh my Jesus!”, Tommy turned on his heels around to look at Tubbo, Tubbo held a big smile on his face. Sometimes, that smile really annoyed Tommy. Didn’t Tubbo know what kind of world they were in now? 

“What, Tubbo? What.”, Tommy tried to show how annoyed he was. Because, he really couldn’t be assed with anything today. He thought he had hit the jackpot when they came across a food bank but every single piece of food was gone, the shelves were hung dry. Not even the packed bags in the back had anything in them. 

But, they did find a rat! 

God, Tommy hates it here. 

“It's a teddy! Can we keep it?” 

Tubbo was only 14 at the time, still confused about everything that happened in the previous years, Tommy felt liked Tubbo blocked out the ‘fall of humanity’, but it seemed impossible when the cause was right in front of eyes all the damn time. 

Tubbo held the small brown teddy up, it had a small blue bow around its neck. It looked dusty and old, but that was expected in a shop that wasn’t touched in more than almost 3 years. 

Tommy was only a year older, but he felt like he was in his twenties, taking care of Tubbo so much but yet being so immature, at least he didn’t fawn over toys or not even pay attention to the world around him. 

Tommy eyed it, Tubbo’s expression flattered a little bit as he watched Tommy’s face. 

“No, it’ll take up space. You need to only carry things for survival. Don’t be dumb Tubbo, we aren’t children anymore, you’re being a dumbass.” 

“But Tomm-” 

“Tubbo!” 

Tubbo flinched, of course he did, Tommy rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously, open your eyes. We’re living in fucking hell. We can’t do anything about it other than survive and if you can’t do that, I can easily just leave you to die.” 

Tubbo’s smile turned into a thin-line. It looked like his eyes may have glazed over. 

“Tommy, you...wouldn’t do that.” 

“I wouldn’t?” 

Tommy and Tubbo just stared at each other for a few seconds before Tommy spoke up again. 

“Just hurry and put it back.” 

Later that night when Tubbo and Tommy set up their tent in one of the clothing shops he went back down the broken, unmoving escalators and into the shop Tubbo had picked the teddy from. 

He had found it, sitting right in the front of the shop window, back on display for nobody expect the undead walking by. 

Tommy picked it up and tore off the spider webs cluttered on it, he had no idea why Tubbo took interest in the most basic teddy but he didn’t care, no. Tommy sighed and ran back out, trying to keep his steps quiet. He reached the tent, opening its zip and crawling back in. 

Tommy looked at a sleeping Tubbo, this was probably the most he ever got peace but sometimes he thinks it was better if Tubbo was speaking than it just being dead silence around him. 

Tommy looked at Tubbo’s hands just peeking out from his sleeping bag, Tommy replaced the empty hands with the brown teddy, Tubbo’s hands instantly clutching onto the small thing. A small smile rested on his sleeping form. 

Tommy settled back in his own sleeping bag, staring at the roof of the tent. 

Maybe sometimes he lashed out too much at Tubbo. 

  
He was lucky they met Wilbur. 

It was stormy that night, not a sand kind, but rain. The kind where you could put anything outside, like pots and cans just to get water to drink it. 

Though, it had been a lighter harder than usual, more than the spitting down. Tommy was aware the weather had gotten worse but he had never seen lighting strike down so hard. He could’ve sworn the seen a piece of land set on fire from the lighting in the dark from far away. Both him and Tubbo were soaked, shivering. Tommy had no idea where they were going to go from here. They couldn’t set up the tent just it would just break in this wind. 

When he had turned to look at Tubbo, who was equally as drenched as him. His face was all scrunched up, he knuckles looked white from gripping hard onto his bag straps. 

Tommy slowed down and swung an arm around Tubbo’s shoulders. 

Tommy started pulling him along, Tommy squinted his eyes trying to look into the dark depths but even the clouds covering the moonlight caused an internal darkness for miles. Anything could jump out at them; they wouldn’t even be able to hear the crackling and clicking of the monsters out here. 

Tommy held Tubbo closer, not wanting anything to hurt him. 

But suddenly a bright light shined in both of their eyes, blinding them in the darkness around them. 

As their eyes settled back from the bright light, they saw a tall man, just a bit taller than Tommy with a beanie, lowering the gun pointing at them seconds ago. 

“Holy shit, you're kids.” 

Tubbo had grown onto Wilbur so much over the next 2 years, he followed him around and always listened to Wilbur while Tommy did the exact opposite. That didn’t mean Wilbur liked tommy any less than Tubbo, he cared for them so much. Tommy knew Wilbur looked at them as brothers, Tubbo thought the same but Tommy, yeah, he did too. But he’d never say that to them. He’s not sappy like the other two. 

Wilbur had taken them back that day, it was the first time Tommy had seen the rope, it always led Wilbur back home. 

Their home was a simple house that survived among other crumbled homes, though the back-left side was gone it was still useable, Tommy shared a room with Tubbo, it was covered in a lot of books that Tubbo reads on a daily, a lot of children like books. They were all mostly about superheroes and fantasy. Tommy never understood how Tubbo could sit still and read for hours, he could barely sit still for 10 minutes, Tommy needed to be up and moving. That’s why Wilbur had to mark the square around the house with red chalk. 

Tommy kept pulling Tubbo outside to ‘play’, he knew he got onto Tubbo so many times for acting like a child so much but since he had Wilbur around now, he felt like he could be a little bit childish now, along with still bossing Tubbo around. 

Tommy watched as Wilbur finished up using the chalk, it was a pretty big square around the house, it was big enough to get climb on some of the crumbled buildings on the right. 

Tubbo was by his side too, ”I don’t see the point of this.” Tommy grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“Its to stop you two running out so far, or should I say you pulling out Tubbo too far?” 

Wilbur stood up from his kneeling position the ground, ”What if one day you can’t find your way back, it is for the best Tommy.” 

Tubbo grabbed onto one of Tommy’s arms and nodded his head, “Tommy, Wilbur is right. We should stay close to the house. There is danger out there.” 

Tommy had never been so shocked in his life; Wilbur was a little surprized too. 

Tubbo had acknowledged the real world around him for a few minutes. Wilbur knew Tubbo liked to ignore it and Tommy knew it as Tubbo ignored it like the plague. So, hearing Tubbo acknowledge the ‘dangers’, the monsters. It shocked him. Tubbo refused to even listen to Tubbo about the monsters, he acted like there was nothing wrong with the world, but Tommy couldn‘t blame him. He knew the trauma of it was too much for Tubbo, and if that's how he wanted to deal with it, Tommy wasn’t going to hurt time by forcing him anymore to take a good look around. 

  
Yet, Tommy was stupid for another time, going over that line once again. Not only ruining his trust with Tubbo, he has probably let him get hurt out there too. He was a bad friend, a bad brother. That’s all he could think about as the rope still moved. 

He was older than Tubbo, he should be protecting him. Not pulling him around and giving him orders, but sometimes Tommy couldn’t help it. 

It was going to be all his fault; Tommy clenched his fists. He kept his eyes on the rope but it suddenly stopped. Tommy looked up into the greyish yellow flowing sand, Wilbur wasn’t back and neither was Tubbo. Wilbur told him to wait here, not to move. But what if Wilbur had gotten hurt? Or if the sand got too deep and trapped him? Or, maybe, maybe he was dead- 

The rope started to make sound, signifying it was moving again. Tommy looked down to the rope being tugged multiple times, meaning Wilbur was coming back. Tommy quickly picked it up and started to pull, if he didn’t; Wilbur could accidently go in the wrong direction. 

Tommy felt like it took forever until he saw something, “Wilbur!” 

He saw another figure, his first thought was that it was Tubbo, he smiled, Tubbo was okay, but as they got closer Tommy noticed that Wilbur was not alone, more than just him and Tubbo...


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a lil' late on updates today, whoops.

Wilbur kept running, he didn’t know how he had been running for but he did know his legs hurt. 

He never expected it to turn out like this, he never wanted anything to turn out like this. He was running on words, words given to him minutes before a horde had come. The both of them couldn’t take them on, of course they couldn’t. Wilbur wanted to believe otherwise, he wanted to believe he and Phil could take them on, get out together. Phil told him to run, told him to not look back. 

Wilbur refused like an idiot, wanted to stay and help; all while Phil shouted about how it was his duty to protect Wilbur. Phil was like a dad to Wilbur, a dad he never had and now he was all alone again. He knew Phil was dead, if he and Willbur couldn’t take them on, how was Phil meant to take on those ‘things’ on his own. 

Wilbur felt like he could’ve done something, anything. Without Phil, there was no point anymore. 

Wilbur kept running, he could fell the hot tears running down his freezing face, the deep white path in front of him blurry as hell. The snow felt deeper than usual, he felt like the snow was holding down onto his feet as he tried to run or was it that he was just that tired, too tired to run anymore. 

Falling down onto his knees in the snow, Wilbur just let everything out, the hiccupping, the sobs. 

What was the bloody point anymore, Phil is gone. Phil gave his life for Wilbur. 

Wilbur stared at his hands, tears still streaming. Wilbur felt like giving up, it was over now. Wilbur hated being all alone, and that’s what he was now; alone. But Wilbur knew he couldn’t just give up now. Phil always talked about how much he believed in Wilbur, Wilbur took pride in what Phil told him. He wanted to keep believing in it, but he didn’t want to do it alone. Not in a world like this, not like this. 

Wilbur looked up trying to look around him, the snow around him just seemed to get deeper and deeper. He didn’t want to die like this, not after Phil gave his life, if he did give up; then there was no point in Phil giving up his life only for Wilbur to die hours after. Wilbur started to get back up, shaking from the cold. 

He didn’t want to disappoint Phil, he really didn’t. So, he decided to keep going, even if his knees ached, his eyes burned and his head was sore. 

Wilbur forced himself to move, to continue using his weak form to find shelter. 

Wilbur kept going, shaking, sore, cold. 

If Phil believed in him so much to give up his life just so that Wilbur could keep going, then he would. He’d keep going just for Phil. Prove to him he could be better, stronger. Wilbur just wished he was stronger in that moment, he wanted to be the one to protect Phil this time. It was always Phil protecting Wilbur. Wilbur wanted to show Phil he could be what he always told Wilbur. But in that moment, in that hour, all he could do was run. 

Wilbur used what little power he had left, he pushed forward. Putting his feet back into the deep snow, trudging through it. 

Wilbur walked and walked, it felt like forever. 

His head felt light, like he was going to double over any minute now. Wilbur looked around him, the falling white sparkles seemly stopping. Though, the snow on the ground still sat firm. Wilbur rubbed his eyes, which only made the pain feel worse. He could barely feel his feet anymore, the damp cold taking hold of them. Wilbur blinked and looked up and saw multiple buildings, some broken down, others with smashed in windows, a few more steps away from the other buildings was a lone building. 

Wilbur pulled his weight just a little longer, passing the other buildings. 

Click. 

Wilbur sighed, inching forward. Soon he could relax. 

Click, click. 

Wilbur felt like his thoughts were being clouded, turning into clicking like sounds, wait, clicking? 

Wilbur was then suddenly awake, turning to look to his right, in-between the buildings was one of those ‘things’. He didn’t know what to call them, but he knew they were dangerous and the one he was looking at right now was looking right back at him. 

He knew the ‘things’ were sort of blind, but they were very intelligent with the sound around themselves. 

Wilbur wanted to pretend it wasn’t even there but he knew his heavy footsteps had already alarmed the ‘thing’ of his appearance. Wilbur kept his eye on it as it croaked and clicked, it swayed and tripped as it walked forward. Wilbur felt sudden anger in his body, angry at himself, at their kind, at everything. 

Wilbur took the axe from his back and positioned himself, “Bastard.” 

Wilbur walked over to the thing as it sped up to him anyways, hearing his voice and steps. 

It screeched and squawked, raising its hands to try and reach Wilbur to scratch him. It reached over, doing its best to open its crooked jaw to attempt a bite. Though it was still too far away to do so. 

Wilbur bounced forward, raising his leg to try and kick into the ‘thing’ so it turned away from him. He knew the blood it held was infected. The ‘thing’ dodged and almost grabbed Wilbur but he too dodged, ducking the bloody torn hands. The quickly took the axe in his hands and brought it down onto its head, blood not splattering but spilling from the ‘things’ back head. Wilbur almost gagged, the split in the head, showing more than anyone should see as he pulled his axe out. 

It wasn’t the first time he had killed these ‘things’ and he knew this wasn’t going to be his last. He backed up, feeling the rush of adrenaline leaving him. 

Wilbur found himself walking again, pulling himself over to the house at the other end. 

Wilbur pushed open the door, it swung open and he fell through. He landed straight onto the ground, Wilbur rolled over and kicked the door shut from the ground. He lay a hand over his face, he felt incredibly tired. So very tired. Wilbur yawned, he couldn’t be bothered finding a bed in the house, the floor would have to do for now. 

  
Weeks later and Wilbur had made a home out of the house, he searched the other homes bringing in better furniture, even if it broke his back from all the carrying. He replaced the shattered lamps and chucked out old food. 

He slowly made progress but it was worth it, in the middle of all the houses was a stable food bank, it took a while to find it due to snow being so deep and the area being pretty big. It was one of the few areas of houses that seemed to almost look like a town. As the snow melted, Wilbur could start to see the sand again. He wished it stayed the winter season because the cold was being than the heat, the heat was overbearing while you could easily warm in the winter without freezing. 

Wilbur checked the upstairs later that week too, one of the rooms was stacked with tins too. It was almost like a miracle; it could last him years. It was clear this town was like a community, they had a food bank, there was a farm out the far back which Wilbur was going to check for seeds and such. There was no wonder they had so much, they shared or something. 

Wilbur right now was pulling a wagon; it was filled with books. All kind of books. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to set up any kind of wooden mill for electricity, there was enough wood from the other homes but he couldn’t do it alone. 

Wilbur closed the door behind him, pulling the wagon into the house. He looked around, the kitchen being in the left and the living room to the right. There was no wall separating the two rooms. Wilbur liked it like that, it was like he never had to check corners with it. Though, the back bathroom on the first-floor walls were gone, but this was the fastest house out of all of them. 

He wondered how he would pull the wagon upstairs, he decided to just pick up as many books as possible and just walk upstairs with them. He turned to the left and entered his room. He placed the books onto his freshly washed sheets. The recent showers have given him enough water to clean his clothes and wash some other things. He had enough clean water for the week, the small showers of rain meant that a storm was coming, of course. It was the only type of weather that showed signs before even starting, others, like the snow, just fell heavily right away and sand storms you could see hurling for miles away. 

Wilbur went downstairs and brought the last of the books up, also placing them on his bed. He picked them up, wondering if he should just place them neatly on the shelf above his bed or put them in order by name. 

He wanted something to take his time away, he had finished making the place as homely as it could get. He even cleaned the upstairs bathroom which had a disgusting smell in it. He had no clue where it came from until he checked the sink, something had caught itself in the sink. Whatever it was had been shredded, its skin and fur all ripped. Like someone had grabbed the poor animal and tried to shove it down there, it made Wilbur gag. He wouldn‘t be surprised if that is what happened, some people in this world had gone made. He’d seen someone pull apart a rabbit before, they didn’t even cook it or used the fur. Just, sat there, pulling. Phil had never pulled Wilbur out of an area so quick, telling him they weren’t going to settle there for a night. 

Wilbur sighed, placing the last of the books onto the shelf, he wondered what else he could do before making his dinner. 

He checked the room across from him, a room that had two beds in it. It had soft red walls and a bunch of teddies in one corner. It was most likely a child’s room. It made Wilbur wonder if the kids, who once played in this room, were alive. 

Wilbur had cleaned the sheets in this room too, he decided to go back out and search the houses again for any children books, there was no point but it was something to keep him busy. 

Wilbur had woken up to the lighting and thunder going on outside, he sat up in his bed, stretching. 

Wilbur knew he wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep, not with the storm blaring that loud. 

Wilbur swung the covers, swinging his legs over the bed. He rubbed his eyes and stood. He opened up the curtains, it was complete pitch black but he could see the rain from a short distance and the droplets on the other side of the window. It was sure to be cold out there, Wilbur wanted to go out and collect the pots, milk glasses and plastic bottles he had sat outside. With rain spitting down like that; they would be filled by now. 

Wilbur changed out of his pjs, putting on some warm clothing along with his winder fur coat and beanie. He continued his journey by picking up his gun, his flashlight from the nightstand and going downstairs, opening the front door, instantly being hit by wind and rain. Wilbur closed the door behind him, making sure the wind wouldn’t blow it open. He was still trying to find a mayor’s house, even if this town had one, for the second set of keys so he could lock this door. 

Wilbur walked around the left side of the house, turning on his flashlight. Being able to see better now, he found the items he sat outside hours ago, he couldn’t be bothered bring in the pots right now and decided to pick up the caps in the small dainty wooden box attached to the house. He screwed them on to the filled bottles and glass bottles, he picked them all up and went back around to the front door. He entered back in, placing the things he had picked up onto the table in the kitchen. He stood there for a moment before thinking about going back out again, he knew he needed sleep but he felt something uneasy. Not that he wasn’t safe, but more like something else wasn’t it was a weird feeling and Wilbur didn’t like it. 

It could have just been he was feeling like this because it was the dead of the night and storming, or it was that itching feeling of when he was younger being scared of someone breaking in, but Wilbur knew those chances were little. There was no one around, not even the ‘things’. Nothing had shown up for ages. 

Wilbur shook his head, opening the door again and making sure to hold up the flashlight to point towards his rope. 

If he was going to travel out for a little, it was best he didn’t get lost and not find his way home in this dark. 

Wilbur picked it up, placing the flashlight in his mouth as he tied the rope around his wrist. He took hold of the flashlight again, his gun in his other hand. He started walking, watching over his shoulder as his home was enveloped by the darkness. Wilbur blinked and then it was completely gone, only the rain, wind hitting him and the unilluminated area around him. Wilbur, though, couldn’t care less, the feeling somewhat easing. 

As he walked, he felt like his flashlight was lighting up something in the distance, an oddly greyed shape against the darks. He raised his gun, his only thoughts believing it was one of those ‘things.’ 

Wilbur kept his pace, approaching the things he hates most in this world. 

It got closer and so did Wilbur, his gun pointing at his target just before his flashlight completely lit up the figures in front of him. 

And in that moment, Wilbur felt like Phil, staring at himself, two kids, alone, this this fucking depressing world holding onto each other. 

“Holy shit, you’re kids." 

Tubbo had been crying most of the day, and Wilbur had never seen Tommy so calm before. Wilbur had tried asking Tommy why Tubbo had a sudden breakdown but Tommy only made a cringed face, obviously not wanting to share. 

Wilbur never wanted to force anything out of the two, Wilbur was aware that Tubbo ignored the real world, knew that the two went through stuff together but he also knew that Tubbo had been through things before even meeting Tommy. 

Tommy didn’t know what happened before he met Tubbo, but he knew whatever it was, was one of the reasons why Tubbo refused to see the world as it was. 

Wilbur sat on the couch, leaning his cheek onto his palm. He watched at Tubbo silently cried and Tommy sat with him on the ground, reading the books the Tubbo read on the daily. Tommy also had his arm around Tubbo, Tubbo holding onto a blue bowed teddy. He watched a Tubbo leaned closer to Tommy, using one of his hands to wipe his tears. 

Wilbur sighed, though Tubbo may have had a breakdown, he was safe. 

Wilbur felt like he was finally doing what Phil always told him he could do, Wilbur felt proud. 

“Tommy, Tubbo.” 

Tommy stopped reading and looked towards Wilbur. 

“I’m going to make dinner, is carrot soup okay?” 

Tommy nudged Tubbo, a silent ask if he wanted some. A small nod came from Tubbo, “Can you keep reading?”, and so he did, Tommy returned to reading. 

Wilbur went through to the kitchen. 

Wilbur was running, screaming. 

“Tubbo! Tubbo! Fuck!” 

He looked everywhere he could, the sand just appearing wherever he looked. He didn’t want to lose Tubbo like this, everything he did, to protect him would have been thrown out this window, it would of all been for nothing. 

“Tubbo!” 

“Wilbur!” 

Wilbur had never spun around so hard in his life, almost giving him a headache. 

“Wilbur, we have to help them!” 

Wilbur stared at Tubbo, the boy had a panicked look on his face. 

“Tubbo, what?” 

“There’s people out there, one is really hurt!” Tubbo grabbed Wilbur’s hand, Wilbur holding his hand back. Wilbur knew Tubbo wasn’t going to let this go, and frankly neither was Wilbur. If someone out there needed help, he was going to do it. He was going to help anyone who ever needed help, make up for what he couldn’t do before. 

“Can you remember your way to them?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my proudest chapter, kinda rushed. But I had no time to update 2 days ago bc it was hella busy last week.
> 
> BUT! This is my last week of college before the holidays. :D
> 
> TW / Blood and mentions of self-harm

Tubbo pulled Wilbur along, the storm spitting sand in their faces. Tubbo kept a hand over his eyes as he tried to guide the hand that only belonged to Wilbur, Tubbo held tight onto Wilbur, fear as if he’d lose him, it definitely wasn’t the first time Tubbo felt this fear. 

“Tubbo, you sure you know the way, as much as I want to help- this storm is getting worse!” 

Tubbo said nothing, only still dragging Wilbur across the sea salt ground. 

Wilbur sighed, squishing Tubbo’s hand in reassurance. He looked around, seeing nothing but the sand rushing by with the strong forceful wind. Slowly a figure started to appear in the empty area, a bike too. Wilbur’s eyes widen as he saw the two, leaning up against the vehicle. One was in the arms of the other, one was out cold while the other seemed like he was going to pass out soon. 

The tallest eyes shot up to look at them, his arms tightened around the smaller. 

Wilbur instantly noticed it as protectiveness, he did it with Tommy and Tubbo. 

Tubbo looked up to Wilbur, letting go of his hand. Wilbur nodded and leaned down to the two, the one with green eyes pulled the smaller one back. Trying to escape whatever stare Wilbur seemed to be giving him. 

Wilbur scanned them, especially the one passed out, he noticed the faded black eye and the blood-stained shirt. 

“What happened?” Wilbur referred to the blood, it seemed to be still wet. 

The man seemed to be hesitant be a grumpy voice was heard. “Crazy bastards, road gang.” 

Wilbur reached out to get a closer look to whatever wound was underneath the shirt, only for the man to glare at him. Wilbur stopped halfway, “I just want to see-” 

The man narrowed his eyes before lifting the smaller’ shirt himself, Wilbur looked at the poorly wrapped cloth, it was soaked with blood. If Wilbur knew any better, he shouldn’t pull at the cloth to have a look. 

“How deep?” 

“...Deep.” The man’s voice seemed to tremble as much as it sounded rough, clearly in distrust. Wilbur didn’t blame the other, two randoms’ approaching them after being through hell. It didn’t help the other that his friend was 

Wilbur nodded, acknowledging the answer. “Tubbo, we still have thread in the kit, right?” 

“Mhm.” 

Wilbur turned back to the other two, “I’m Wilbur, I want to help your friend here; if you will let me.” 

“Please.” 

That’s all Wilbur needed to hear to take the boy in the other’s arms into his own. 

Tommy watched as the figures emerged from the sand storm, Tubbo was back and so was Wilbur but Wilbur was carrying a brunette and some blond following closely behind, maybe a little too close to Wilbur, the blond seemed to hover over Wilbur, watching his every move. 

Tommy figured that the male was close with the one being carried, worrying for their friend's safety. 

Wilbur came rushing in, Tubbo pulling the rope off of Wilbur, “Tommy, go get the med kit out now!” 

The tone in Wilbur’s voice gave away how much of an emergency there was, Tommy ran inside, keeping the front door open. He went into the kitchen, pulling open the bottom cupboard, pushing the glasses aside and pulling out the kit. 

“In the living room!” 

The call out was from Wilbur, Tommy stood from his crouching position. 

Tubbo came into the kitchen too, and Tommy felt arms wrapping around his waist. Tubbo buried his face deep into Tommy’s back, Tommy put his hand on top of Tubbo’s. Tommy’s eyebrows knitted, feeling guilty. 

“I-I'm sorry Tubbo-” 

Tubbo only shook his head into Tommy’s back, ignoring the comment that Tommy had just made. Tubbo only squeezed harder into Tommy, Tommy knew he broke trust with Tubbo, but it hurt more than Tubbo still clung onto him even though he had. 

“Tommy!” 

Tommy pried Tubbo’s hands off of his waist, running into the living room. He and Tubbo ran into a scene of someone laying on the coffee table in the living room, Wilbur pulling the shirt of the male on the table, a man leaning over too; shouting and arguing with Wilbur. 

Tommy could see the frustration in Wilbur’s face as he tried to pull the shirt up, the hands of the blond trying to stop him, “If you want me to help!” 

Wilbur pushed the intruding hands away, “You’re going to have to fucking sit still!” 

“But what if he bleeds out!” 

“He’s going to bleed out if it doesn’t get sewn up!” 

“But what if-” 

Tommy was fed up of hearing their bickering, Tommy wasn’t really in the mood to watch a man bleed out on Tubbo’s favourite reading table and possibly stain it, so he cleared his throat with a cough. 

“Sorry to interrupt your granny meeting, but I got the shit.”, He raised the medkit, chucking it towards Wilbur, who effortlessly caught it. 

“Also, I’d rather we put a cloth or something under the, uh, dying guy because it’s the best table we got.” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes, “Tubbo?” 

Tubbo disappeared, running back in with a cloth, he handed it to Wilbur. 

The other male in the room grimaced watching as Wilbur lifted the smaller male sliding the sheet underneath him. Wilbur started to unzip the med kit, pulling out the thread and needle. Tubbo grabbed Tubbo’s hand instantly, watching as Wilbur set up. 

Tommy sighed, “Wilbur, I’m taking Tubbo upstairs.” 

Tommy waiting for no response from Wilbur, Tubbo never did good with cuts and needles, Tommy dragged Tubbo upstairs. 

Tommy closed the door behind him, Tubbo going to the floor quickly to pick up one of the many books littered on the floor, Tubbo flipped through the book, trying to find the last word Tommy had read to him last night. Tommy watched as Tubbo skinned the words with his eyes, tracing the words with his fingers too. Tommy wondered if he could even read half of the words on the pages, wondered if he could even spell out half of them. 

Tommy felt tears prick at his eyes, he felt really bad. 

“Tommy, I can’t find the page we were on.” 

Like, really bad. 

“Tommy, the pages.” 

Tubbo kept flipping through the pages, Tommy wipes his eyes. He was an idiot, again, he did it every fucking time. No matter how many times he got shouted at, nor how many times Tubbo told him he didn’t want to go outside yet Tommy ignored their words, their warnings and this time Tubbo got lost. 

“Tommy, I can’t find it.” 

Something could have happened, something could have been dangerous out there; a person, a monster. 

“Tommy, what page was it.” 

Tubbo could of...died. 

“Tommy?” 

Tommy hiccupped, he was disappointed in himself once again, felt defeated. Once again, he let his feelings get the best of him, let his wants get the best of him, only ever thinking of himself not once thinking what the outcome would be. 

Tubbo looked up, Tommy’s head hung low. 

“T-tommy?” 

Tommy threw himself down to the ground, bring Tubbo into a hug, “I’m sorry!” 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sor-” 

“It's ok-” 

“No, but it’s okay!” 

Tommy pushed Tubbo back, holding onto his shoulders. Tears tracked down his face as he stared at Tubbo, “You could have died, I’m meant to look after you!” 

“To-” 

“I’m the one who is supposed to make sure you don’t get hurt-” 

“Tom-” 

“And I did it again, pushing you into doing things you don’t-” 

“TOMMY!” 

Tommy stopped speaking, looking up to Tubbo, his face relaxed with a small smile. He felt ashamed, Tubbo was so calm. 

Tubbo reached up and wiped his eyes, “Tommy, I’m not mad.” 

Tommy wailed, “But you should be!” 

“But I’m not, everything happens for a reason. If I wasn’t out there, Wilbur wouldn’t have been able to help that boy.” 

Tommy thought about it, Tubbo always believed in helping people, so did Wilbur but Tommy was more sceptical of people. Worrying if they were bad, or if they were infected. 

“Tommy.” 

A book was shoved into his hands, a Disney book. 

Tommy wiped his eyes, a shaky breath. He opened the book; find the page they were last on. Tommy quickly found the last sentence he was on, he began to start reading, “And so she-” 

“Wait!” 

Tubbo stood up, Tommy watched as he picked up a teddy from the bed. Tubbo came back with the teddy with the blue bow and tucked himself under Tommy’s arm. Tommy returned back to reading. 

“You're going to fast!” 

“I’m not!” 

“He’s going to fucking bleed out!” 

“I told you fucking before, he will if you don’t let me do this!” 

“But-” 

“Is it a monster bite? Oh, my fucking god, did you let me pick up an infected?!” 

“No! George isn‘t infected a fucking bastard stabbed him!” 

The two stared heated looks at each other, the blond being possessive over the male that Wilbur has now learned that his name was George. 

The blond’s hands came down again, trying to push away Wilbur’s hands from George. 

“Do you want to pull his shirt up yourself then!” 

The actions by the blond stuttered, his face twisting in confusion. He put his hands down, his mouth opening and closing, words trying to form. 

“I don’t trust myself.” 

Wilbur gawked at him. 

They stared at each other before Wilbur pulled George’s shirt up, a blood-stained cloth showing. Wilbur sighed, nimble fingers pulling apart at the wrapped cloth. Wilbur quickly pulled the knot out, removing the cloth from the cut. Blood was still wet around it, slowly pouring out. 

Wilbur pulled at the cut, more blood seeping out. He checked how deep it was, some dried blood on the inside. 

“I’m going to have to clean it out before I stitch him up-” 

Wilbur looked back up to the guy, his eyes trained on Wilbur’s hands. 

“I’m Wilbur.”, he thought to calm this guy’s nerves was to talk as he worked on the boy. 

“Dream.” 

Wilbur did a double take, wondering if he had heard the guy right. 

“Uh- not your usual everyday name but nice to meet you.” 

Wilbur took some alcohol pads and wiped around the cut, blood wiping away. It barely did much but it gave Wilbur enough time to look around the area before blood took over the area again. He then took a long pair of tweezers and put a cotton ball in it. 

“Are those boys your kids?” 

Wilbur used his pointer finger and thumb to open up the cut, concentrating on where he put the cotton ball in the cut, wiping away dried blood and dirt. 

“No, brothers.”, he swiped up the inside of the cut, “Not related, but I see them as family.” 

Dream nodded, though Wilbur only saw it out the corner of his eyes. 

“You’re probably a great brother then, you’ve kept them alive this long.” 

Wilbur laughed, pulling the cotton ball out, it was soaked with blood. Wilbur let the cotton ball fall onto the alcohol pad on the table, he then grabbed the needle and thread. 

“Thanks....I think?” 

The thread went through the hole of the needle. 

“I‘m not the best at compliments.“ 

Wilbur hummed as he pulled the thread through, he then placed the needle in between the tweezers. The needle was small and using the tweezer to pull it through the skin would be easier. 

“I noticed.” 

Wilbur kept his eyes placed on where he wanted to pierce the skin. The pushed the needle through, breaking the skin. 

Wilbur started to thread through the skin, pulling the two sides together, closing up cut. 

Dream chuckled slightly, “You’re actually pretty okay at this.” 

“Damn right I am.” 

Wilbur kept at it, closing the cut up with every push through the skin. Wilbur got to the end, tying a knot at the end. 

Wilbur got another alcohol pad, wiping the area again, this time the blood disappearing and becoming clean. Wilbur’s movements came to a stop as he noticed scars across the right side of George’s waist. Wilbur outlined the scars with his fingers and Dream watched, equally wondering what they were. 

“What are these?”, Wilbur then checked George’s wrists finding no scars on them. His first thought was it was self-harming. 

“I have no clue.” Dream lightly touched the scars, the scars were pretty wide reaching behind to George’s back. He remembered seeing them slightly when he panicked to wrap Goerge up back a day ago. 

“Well, he’s fine for now.” Wilbur began to put a pad onto the stiches, cushioning it and protecting it. Medical tape was then placed on top of the pad, to keep it secure. 

Wilbur then picked George up, putting him onto the couch to lay, ”Just let him rest, I’m going to check on the two upstairs.” 

Dream nodded, “Thanks.” 

Wilbur smiled, heading to the stairs. 

Dream kneeled down by the side of the couch, ready to wait however long for George.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say I am no expert on bsl or asl. :)
> 
> I'm off for two weeks! Well, technically only one because in the second week were working from home. F in chat, lol. 
> 
> TW / Blood and sick.

Karl had always feared everything, the unknown, it was something that always followed him around. He remembers when he was younger, he felt for the first time staring out to the ocean watching the waves go up and down in the dark blue, seeing distant outlines of his family. To some, it may have been a beautiful sight. Standing shoeless in the sand, watching as the sun went down, feeling the breeze that flushed by, the waves crashed and waved, Karl bet they sounded loud but all Karl could think about was what was under the strong waves, what lay beneath further than what the world knew. 

Karl learnt about the sea in school, barely anyone knew anything about it. Only 5% has been discovered while the rest stays...undiscovered. Who knew what would happen if he decided to go into the water, what could grab him? 

Karl shivered, always being afraid of everything. 

Karl was unfortunately afraid the dark too, he couldn’t see in the dark, the unknown that hid in it. That’s what scared him, he couldn’t see, the darkness only seemed to grow bigger and bigger as he tried to see through it. It always looked like shadows grew and grew, like people were forming in the dark. He’d always pull his covers over his head, wishing it would all stop, that it wouldn’t be so overwhelming anymore. 

He listened closely, as good as he could as if he actually hear things, Karl liked to believe he could hear the steps, like the growing shadows were real, like actual people forming; coming for him, footsteps approaching. He’d wonder if they grab his sheets and pull them off and hurt him. 

Growing older, Karl knew they couldn’t do harm and it was only a figment of his imagination, but it didn’t mean he still didn’t get scared of the dark. Since then, he always had a nightlight with him. 

Like mentioned before, Karl feared everything, people too. He could never understand what people were thinking, thinking about him. They always spoke in whispers around him, the giggles and chuckles. He watched as their faces moved, moves opening and closing but nothing ever came out but he knew they were laughing, making fun of him. It wasn’t his fault. 

They’d stare, eyes following him. His could feel their stares on his back. Judging his every move. 

He avoided people, straying away from everyone, eyes never meeting eyes, keeping away from social interaction, never bonding with anyone or getting into relationships. 

So, when Karl had gotten into trouble and a random ginger started shouting at him, their face showing anger, and not being able to hear a word that was muttered, it was no wonder that he started to cry. 

Karl was trying to run, really. He just couldn’t do it. He had never gotten close to the dead. Always avoided them like he avoided people, he learned that they may be slightly blind but they did hear. Karl had to take more precautions; his own level of sound was something he was unaware of. He had to watched the dead's’ move, watching them for disturbance in their movement, the disturbance being him. 

He was doing his usual when he needed to pass the dead, watching them with wide open eyes, watching their moves, mouths wide, no sound but he knew they were screaming. 

He tried, watching as he was passing, trying to collect food. He was running out, and had to go further out than usual, his closest place to raid was out of edible food. He had gotten the food, but had completely got caught up in trying to get home so quickly he forgot to check out the place first. Karl had gone in grabbing anything he could, he was hungry, he couldn’t hear the amount of sound he was making. 

But something did, the dead. They heard him clear as day. 

Karl had spotted them, heading his way. He was aware of how reckless he was being, he stopped shoving cans into his bag. He watched as they kept creeping closer, mouths twisting in shapes that just didn’t look human. 

He slowly started backing up, walking backwards keeping his eye on them, looking closely for any change in their current behaviour. 

Karl felt like he was in the clear, until he bumped into something, or maybe...someone. 

Karl fell forward, all the cans falling out from his bag. Scattering across the floor, of course the made sound even if Karl couldn’t hear it. He watched as the dead in front of him moved quicker than a cat chasing a mouse, them hearing his mess up. They headed his direction; he knew he was fresh meat on a platter. In other words, he was in bad luck, really bad luck. 

He tried to grab as much as he could, but he remembered he also bumped into something, looking over his shoulder tenderly and carefully, his eyes widened as hands cover in purple tried to get a grip on him. 

He screamed; he didn’t know how loud but he could feel the vibrations in his chest and throat. He also knew it would alarm more dead that hadn’t already heard his crash. He screamed, trying to get out of its reaching grip. 

It only moved more, the dead’s face twisting and churning. 

Karl screamed, he knew what the purple stuff was, its venom, blood. It was what carried the illness, whatever it was. It didn’t matter, all Karl knew was he had to get away but he couldn’t help but panic, screaming. He didn’t know how to get out a situation like this, he never got so close to them, never been attacked, nor killed one. 

That fear of unknown came creeping in, he was stuck with no way out, he was doomed. He didn’t know what was going to happen, it was unknown to him, just like the disease. He was scared, he was going to get turned, catch the sickness. He didn’t know what it would do, what he would be like, if he would even be himself anymore if he got infected. 

He knew from what he’d seen, but he didn’t know how it felt to be one and he didn’t want to find out but he didn’t think he had a choice now. 

The dead in front of him now was making him back up into the bigger group. 

He screamed and screamed, the dead following him started to squirm, its mouth reaching wide and purple started to spew. It bowelled and spat, purple trailing down to the ground, splattering. 

Karl tried to shout, anything, he didn’t even know if his words came out right. 

He had no idea how to sound things out, he wasn’t sure how words were meant to sound like. 

The purple sick caught on his shoes, painting the once white shoes a murky purple with flesh in it. 

Karl felt like throwing up, he gagged. 

He turned over, trying to push himself up, trying to scramble to his feet and run. 

When Karl got to his feet, he didn’t see the other group of dead but someone else. He had a lengthy sword, pulling it out from the dead, more purple blood all over the ground which only make Karl gag more, his own sick threating to spill. 

The new foe on his way over to Karl, he backed up, once again forgetting the dangers around him. 

The male who sported ginger hair raised his sword, throwing himself right into Karl, the sword went flying by past him. Karl shook in fear as the sword was retracted with purple all over it, Karl felt the dead behind him drop. 

The ginger pushed Karl to the side, he crashed down to the ground once more. 

He looked to the last dead on the ground, its head in a banana split. Karl quickly looked away, barfing onto the ground he sat on. 

He never seen anything like it before, he never wanted to see anything like it, he didn’t want to know how the dead were killed. 

Karl felt a pull at his shoes, he turned to stare at the gloved male pulling at his shoes. Karl only thought to trash around, opening his gob and scream whatever his throat would let him. 

He watched as the ginger got his tainted shoes off, the ginger was also using his mouth, lips moving, angrily. 

Karl had no clue what was being said to him, all he heard was white noise better yet nothing. Everything just moved silently. He felt everything shrunk around him as his eyes trained on the ginger’s lips, trying to read them but the shouts were moving to rapid for Karl and Karl started to panic, he was being shouted at and had no clue what was being said to him. Tears pricked at his eyes, panic settling in even more. 

He cried, cried hard, he could feel the wet tears overflow, his own hands starting to fail around trying to sign anything he could. Fingers and wrists flicking around, arms going up and down. 

The male in front of him stopped, face scrunching in confusion. 

Karl sniffled, arms slowing down as he tried to sign ‘stop’, a vertical left hand lowering down into a horizontal right hand. 

Karl watched as the male spoke again, watching words form, ‘I don’t understand’. 

Karl wiped his eyes, muttering whatever his sore throat could, he did his best to pronounce the ‘stop' to the best of his ability. He watched as the ginger’s mouth turned to an ’O', seemily understadning. 

Karl shivered, scared. 

He didn’t know who this was, but they seemed to have no problem murdering things. He also seemed to have no problem trying to undress people too. Karl knew he was only trying to remove his infected shoes off, trying to save him from getting sick himself. But it still scared Karl, he hated human touch, he hated people in genral maybe even more than the dead straggling around. 

The male in front of him started to look awkward, realising his mistake, taking for granted that the one of the dirty grounds could hear him. 

Karl watched as the ginger put out a hand, offering it to him. Karl hesitated, still shaken up but took the hand. The brown eyes helped up the blue ones, but as soon as the ginger had helped Karl up, he let go of the hand immediately, turning to grab his bag qucikly. 

The other followed, helping him with the cans. Karl hated how he was being helped, it reminded him of his mother but at the same time made him feel...normal. This guy didn’t treat him like others, didn’t mutter behind his back or laugh. 

Karl took the cans off from the ginger, he watched as the ginger also did an action with his hand, a circle on his chest. 

Karl’s eye lit up, he recognised it as bsl, it was British sign language and not American but he still knew it, slightly. The male was signing ‘sorry’. 

Karl might of knew asl better, but if this other in front of him knew bsl then it was good enough for Karl. 

He was still bad on sign language himself, no matter what one he used, he didn’t bother to use it because he felt like no one would ever try to communicate with him. Everyone always turned away, thinking he was stupid, or dumb, treating him like he was something to avoid. 

Karl raised his left hand to his chin, four fingering touching and then his hand coming outwards for a ‘thank you’. 

The ginger seemed to take a moment before catching the signing, nodding. He also scratched his head before using his hands again, pointing towards Karl and put a thumbs up into his palm, pushing it towards Karl again. Signing ‘you’ and ‘help’. 

Karl stood there, was this guy offering help? 

A hand touched his shoulder, Karl looked at him, the ginger pointing to his lips. Karl watched as the lips moved slowly, words forming and Karl paid attention; catching as many words as he could. 

‘I’m not great at this but, I’m-’, something, ’help’, something else, ’Be friends.’ 

Had Karl heard that right, read it right. 

Friends? 

He never had a friend before. 

Ever. 

This guy was offering friendship, treating him normally, even if it seemed he had a short fuse. He didn’t do that thing when people tried to speak with him, big movements of the mouth, trying to express the words without using actual expressions, treating him like he was a fool. 

He also didn’t just leave him when he learned Karl couldn’t hear him, he only seemed to try to find another way to communicate, which Karl appreciated, a lot. 

Karl nodded, voicing his thoughts. “Frie-nds.” 

He was certain that it sounded odd, he wanted to confirm it without using sign. 

The other smiled, starting to sign letters. Karl watched as he tried to catch the bsl, reading ‘F, u, n’. Fun? What was the ginger- Karl ‘ooh’d’ as the other continued. 

‘d and y.’ 

The ginger then pointed to himself. Karl put the letters together in his head, his gears turned as he tried to figure out how it may have sounded and what it meant before looking up again to see the ginger again, the male was trying to do some half circle on the right side of his face. 

Karl tilted his head; the ginger’s eyes was filled with worry. He seemed to only do the action quicker which didn’t help Karl. The ginger watched as it didn’t help Karl at all, he slowed back down, pointing to himself and then doing the half crescent on his face again. 

Karl figured it out, it was the ginger’s name. Fundy. 

Karl awkwardly smiled, pointing to himself and saying his own name. He still felt uncomfortable, he never had interactions such as this. 

Fundy stared down at Karl’s feet before Karl did himself, he forgot that not long-ago a dead had thrown up on him. 

They both looked up to each other again, Fundy motioned for Karl to come. Karl walked up to get beside Fundy, Fundy’s face seemed to go back into a grumpy stare. He pointed to his own shoes before pointing to Karl. Karl took it as getting new shoes. 

He also liked the grumpy look, though it was very intimidating when Karl had first saw him but he quickly learned that it was just a concentrating and restful face and Karl didn’t mind, his restful face looked bored, like he was never interested which he was really wasn't but during this moment he was very intrigued. 

An unknown had just become...known. He had always feared people but right now, he wasn’t so scared, he was actually content. He talked to someone; he didn’t feel out of place. He watched as a nearby camp came into sight. Fundy gave a sly smile, encouraging the deaf one to sit with him. 

Karl sat, as a pair of black cons were handed to him, he read Fundy’s lips once again, ‘Not sure your size.’ 

Karl shrugged and tried them on anyways, if anything; they were a little too big but it was no bother. 

Fundy held up two cans, food being offered. Karl had nothing to worry about anymore as that grumpy looked stared back at his bored one. Karl seemed to forget about the unknown, forgetting about the shadows the lowering sun was building and the pools of nearby puddles belittled the sea, almost mocking it. 

And his fear of people was replaced by an actual person. 

Fundy, and he hadn't felt so alone anymore.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha lol hi.
> 
> Quick rant bc idk;  
> I'm on break rn for college, got off last week, still got another week off. I'm glad to be off, but I'm bored but it gives me time to 'recharge', I've got a few disorders lol; so when it comes to social interaction, it takes a bloody lot of energy out of me. 
> 
> And...I also met a guy wayyy older than me before I even realised he was about 2x my age and I have him on snap and he's far too friendly, like way too friendly. But I've managed avoid convo with him since I've been off. 
> 
> But otherwise IM AGING UP IN 5 DAYS! WOO!

15 years earlier. 

George was seated on his bed, sheets white and not so comfy. He watched out the windows to the side of his bed as little birds perched themselves up the trees below the building. George looked around more as he spotted the same park in the distance that was always there, every day. He held a bunny teddy close to him, he wanted to take Mr. Carrots to the park, it would be fun for the both of them. 

He was sure he could see other kids in the distance, but it was hard to see from here, he could get out the bed get closer to the window, he wanted to see what other kids were doing. 

So, George started shuffling his feet, trying to get from out from under the sheets. He felt numb as he tried to get out, his feet barely touched the ground. He sighed in frustration as he placed Mr. Carrots onto the bedside table. He tried to push himself off the bed, trying to get to the ground below him. 

He finally slipped off the bed and fell to the ground, his legs not catching him at all. A loud thud was heard throughout his room. 

The door to the bedroom swung open, “George!” 

His father was right by his side, picking his small body up. “What did I tell you about trying to get out of your bed, you not in good shape right now son.” his voice was stern but still filled with so much concern. 

“I want to go to the park.” 

“George, you know you can’t.” 

George whined, grabbing his father’s shirt and trying to pull him towards the window. His father did so, walking over to the window and pulling the IV stand along to the window too. George pushed his hands up against the window, being able to see the park more clearly, seeing kids running, swinging, playing. 

“When will I be better?” George looked up to his father 

His father just smiled, saying nothing. George had asked that question many times, too many times that it was the same answer all the time. ‘Soon.’ 

Goerge looked back outside, wishing he could go out, be like other children. 

“He should be in that bed.” 

George hated that voice, he pulled himself closer into his father, hiding in his arms. 

“For god’s sake Mary, give the child a break.” 

He heard the heels clicked along the ground, growing closer to him. He felt a firm hand hold his back, keeping him close to the taller male. 

“He’s ill, he needs rest and prayers!” the female voice wretched, a smaller, gentler hand was felt on his shoulder. But, no matter how soft and gentle that hand was, he preferred the firm and calloused hand. Two very different types of hands, the rougher would be seen as bad while the other softer would be seen as good, but it was the opposite. The gentle hand that held George’s shoulder was the bad one. His mother’s hand. 

“Mary, he’s been in bed all day.” 

“As he should be! Give me my baby!” 

George felt as he got lifted further up, being tucked in strong arms. George felt safe, but was still scared of the other in the room. 

Goerge listened as his mother just spat words, his father trying to calm her. Words bounced off the walls and George were sure the nurses could hear the small woman shouting. 

“Mary, please.” 

“No, you listen here, that child had been touched by the devil and needs prayers!” 

It was a normal thing to hear every day, in this room, George had no clue what it meant but he knew it was a bad thing. He was sure his father was fed up with the constant sentence she always used. 

George felt himself being taken out of his father's arms, he was placed in skinner arms, ones that placed him back onto the bed. He put out grabby arms towards his father, “Mary-” 

“George, listen here.” 

George ignored her, still wanting to be picked up by his dad again. 

“George!” 

George shyly looked at his mother, her face serious and eyes popping. “You need to stop getting out your bed.” 

George looked down to his lap, “It is not good for you, I must start pray for you or you won’t ever get better.” 

Someone else entered the room, “He needs anything but that, he needs an actual supporting mother and medicine.” 

George looked up over his shoulder to see Nurse Marigold, she was holding a tray. She was a small woman, like his mother and had dark tanned skin. Her hair was a golden brown, almost the same as his fathers. 

She wore an unamused face, staring right at his mother. 

“I wouldn’t be saying those kinds of things to me!” his mother stood up, crossing her arms. George watched as Nurse Marigold only rolled her eyes in response. 

“You don’t pay my check sweetheart, the government does.” 

George didn’t quite understand the reply, but the scoff that came from his mother make it clear it was a good response to her rude one. 

George also felt himself being picked up again, getting a hug from his father. George hugged back, wrapping his arms as much as possible around his father’s neck. He felt the rumble of his father’s throat as he spoke, “I’m guessing visitors have to leave now?” 

He was placed on the bed again as his father put Mr. Carrots back in his hands, “Take good care now, okay?” 

George nodded clasping the little teddy. 

His mother then ducked down, leaning down to give him a forehead kiss, George dodged it though. She seemed hurt but she moved out of the room anyways. Nurse Marigold took her place beside the bed, placing down the tray as she lifted George’s legs back under the sheets. 

“You’re gaining a lot a strength back, managing to shuffle out of bed like that.” 

George leaned up against the puffed-up pillows, playing with Mr. Carrots ears. 

“I had been there the whole feud, I wanted to see how you could use your little will left.” 

George was given a small washed out yellow cup, and two dirty looking pills, one blue looking. 

“You're a strong boy, George.” 

George gulped down the pills quickly, knowing that they were anything better than what his mother recommended. 

“And you’re my favourite nurse!” George exclaimed happily. Marigold pinched his cheek, smiling softly at him. 

8 years earlier. 

“How’s my favourite patient today?” 

George sat up in his bed, smiling at the woman in the doorway. Her looks not as bright as they used to be, her wrinkles more present than ever though her smile was the same. 

“Sore.” 

Nurse Marigold made a face, “Well, why didn’t you say so?” 

“I just did.” 

Marigold shook her head, “Don’t get cheeky with me youngling.” she ruffled his hair, “Are you up for a walk today?” 

George looked outside, the trees bearing barely any leaves, wind brushed off any that was left hanging on them. 

“Not today Lily, I’m expecting a friend.” he returned to face her, “He’s bringing his work from school in.” 

“George, you got to stop doing his homework for him!” 

George laughed, “I was the one who insisted, it’s the only kind of experience close enough to school!” 

“We can print you school work!” 

“But his is actually from school, plus he needs a little help, Sap’s a little dumb.” 

“I am not!” a voice came from the door way, another boy pointing his finger at George. 

“You kinda are.” 

Nurse Marigold rolled her eyes, “I’ll leave these pills with you, better take them now.” 

George nodded as she left, patting Sapnap on his back. Sapnap took her place sitting in the chair next to the bed. 

“Nurses out front tell me that they found you a replacement.” 

George’s expression changed, seemly unhappy with the greeting from Sapnap. 

“Is that...not a good thing?” 

Of course, it was, George spent most of his life here, not if his whole entire life here just for this. Even after the replacement, he would have to stay in the hospital, the surgery would only help his motor skills and health just enough to be able to move around better. It didn’t mean he could leave, finally get to play at the park, get to go on hikes or go to school. It just meant he wouldn’t get an early grave. 

But the surgery also scared George, what if something went wrong or if he woke up in the middle of surgery. He was always scared when he had to go for operations, not knowing what was happening to you, or what was going to be the outcome. 

“I just, I don’t want to think about it right now.” George admitted, not really wanting to discuss his upcoming surgery. 

“Then we won’t!” Sapnap announced, pulling out a bunch of paper work from his bag, “So, I might actually be a bit dumb because I have no clue what my math teacher was talking about today.” 

“And now you need me to do your math homework?“ 

Sapnap gave a thumbs up, passing over the double-sided sheet of paper. “You got it!” 

Goerge chuckled, taking the pen from Sapnap. 

The both just sat there, working in silence, George liked this the best. 

George and Sapnap had met over the internet, meeting each other in a random lobby in Minecraft on his shitty laptop. George had beaten Sap in a battle and Sapnap didn’t take it so nicely, asking George to ‘mic up’. 

George had never heard of the term before but got the guys discord anyways, only to be cussed out for the next five minutes. George just sat there for a good few just listening, hearing things he had never heard but at the end was a ‘Your actually pretty fucking good.’ 

George replied with a questionable ‘thank you.’ and the next thing that was screamed was ‘YOU’RE BRITISH’ 

George made his first friend, beside Nurse Marigold. Him and Sapnap hit it off really good besides the curse out. Through the next couple of years, Sapnap had introduced his other friends earlier in the stages of becoming friends, Bad and Skeppy. They were both, well one of them was nice. Not that the other wasn’t but that Skeppy was more of a troll kind of player while Bad just wanted everything to go swell. 

George and Sapnap played alone most of the time, making their own worlds and messing around, they would play other games too, George never felt happier, being able to play with someone for once. 

He remembers when Sapnap was complaining about his dad’s promotion making him move across the world, he thought it was dumb that he had to move, Sapnap liked where he lived that was until Goerge asked to where he was moving and Sapnap said ‘LOnDon’ 

George hummed, the memory playing in his head. 

  
And that’s when Sapnap burst, “Oh my god! George! I’m moving to London!” 

Sapnap’s character hit Goerge’s, “George!” 

“Sapnap!” 

George laughed, listening as Sapnap and himself realised where he was moving too. 

“Bro!”, another couple of hits rained down on his character, “I’m so going to fucking hijack your hospital room!” 

George choked, “What the hell does that even mean?” 

“It doesn’t matter!”, Sapnap raved “All that matters is that I’m getting to meet you!” 

George never let his illness be hidden, he told Sapnap as soon as he could, when they build had built a relationship to the point where Goerge trusted him enough with the new information. Sapnap sounded sad a first, but George didn’t want him to feel sad for him, or give him pity. 

Sapnap did so, acting like everything was normal; which it was just some health issues where in the way. 

George also remembers the day Sapnap literally bust down his bedroom door, while all his mother was in the room. 

“Oh, Goergie!” 

Both him and his mother both stopped mid-argument, turning to look at the Texan who had just smashed into the room. His mother looked raging and that’s what Sapnap saw first, “Uh, bad timing?” 

“Bloody bet bad timing son!” his mother bloated, “I think you had the wrong room!” 

George coughed, “No, he doesn’t mum.” 

His mother whipped his head back around to George, “Wha- but you don’t have friends.” 

“And this is why I don’t tell you things.” 

Sapnap during this time of the on-going argument, had sat down in the chair next to George’s bed. 

Making a snarky comment, ”He doesn’t have friends, he as a ‘friend’” 

George glaring at Sapnap now too, shook his head. 

His mother grabbed her bag and left, Sapnap smiled at George. 

He hurled in for a hug, wrapping his arms around George. George laughed, holding onto Sapnap too. 

“Not the best first meet, but I’m still glad.” 

Goerge’s only reply was to hold on tighter, his best friend was here, physically. 

Goerge was broken out of the train of his own thoughts, he heard a cough. George looked up from the math problem he was filling out to look at Sapnap, he was holding up a few sheets of lined paper, most of it filled out. 

Goerge raised his eyebrow, in questioning. 

“So, English essay, how the fuck do I summarise it?” 

George looked at it, taking it in hand. He scanned through it, “Was it an opinion or educational?” 

George watched from the side of his vision, Sapnap flipping through some notes, a self-assigned piece of paper. “Uhm, it’s a person talking about their views on the death row.” 

“Isn’t that like the most used argument for an exam?” 

“Yeah, and because of that there’s a lot of points for it!” Sapnap kept turning pages, “And you know a lot for someone who doesn’t actually go to school.” 

George pushed Sapnap’s shoulder, “Doesn’t mean I don’t get education at all, I’ve got to learn somehow here.” 

“Yeah, but they go at you at your pace, the hospital helps you tons, school makes you fed for yourself.” Sapnap laid the paper on the bed, a finger pointing at a few of passages in the report. 

George read over them, “You only had to recall what the writer said in their opinion, and basically then write about your view on the writer’s opinion. Just remember your reviewing the writer’s opinion on the death row, not your opinion on death row and it should at least be 250 words.”  
George gave back the papers, picking up his pen again. “The reviewers don’t want a long summery after reading a four paged essay.” 

George looks up to Sapnap just shaking his head, ”What?!” 

“Nothing, just confused to how you have a somewhat better education than me.” 

“It's the weed.” 

Sapnap choked, “If anything- nah, the weed doesn’t make me smarter.” 

They both started laughing. 

  
5 years earlier. 

George had no clue what had happened, a loud booming sound was heard out of nowhere. The building shook, George first thought was an earthquake but you didn’t get earthquakes this big. 

The shaking didn’t stop though scaring George and other patients down the hallway. George tried to move, but his weak form could barely hold him up. He hadn’t long had another surgery, leaving him frail and fatigued. The only thing George was grateful for was that his room was close to the ground but was scared that the building could collapse on him. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the bed shake and he gripped the sheets. He waited it out, not sure what to do. 

George had no clue how long it lasted, he just kept his eyes closed, just wanting whatever it was to stop. He sat there, clenched fists. 

“George!” 

How long had he sat there? 

A set of hands were felt under his knees and arms, being lifted up, he opened his eyes again. 

“Sapnap?” 

Sapnap had a bag with him, he had picked up George in bridal style. Sapnap had during the time of picking up George had pulled his IV out from his arm, and a pushed few things that had fallen away from the floor in front of him. 

Sapnap said nothing back in return, only taking out the clipboard at the front of George’s bed. 

“Sap?” 

Sapnap kept George hoisted up, looking at the paper on the clipboard, Sapnap walked out the door. George watched as other people ran down the hallways, some carrying others and others walking themselves. 

Sapnap kept walking, going the opposite way from the other people, George watched over Sapnap’s shoulder, seeing smashed windows and tripped over wheelchairs pass by. 

George just held onto Sap’s shirt, confused and worried. He had no clue what happened but didn’t want to provoke Sapnap any further. George listened to the thing around him, shouts and screams. He watched the outside too, eyes widening as he saw collapsed buildings. 

Sapnap opened a door, entering a room filled to the brim with bottles and boxes. 

George was seated on a chair, Sapnap took the bag he had off his shoulders, opening it and then looking at the clipboard in hand. He watched as Sapnap scanned over the papers, looking for Goerge’s medication, obviously. 

Sapnap started loading boxes and bottles in, ”Hey, what about other people. They could have the same meds as me.” 

“Yeah, but I don’t know em', their death won’t affect me." Sapnap voice was empty. George wanted to say something else, he was baffled, confused. He didn’t know what that was meant to mean, why Sapnap was raiding the hospital, one of many rooms filled with medication but George just continued to watch as more was pushed into Sapnap’s bag. 

It was zipped up and swung back on, Sapnap picked up George again. George wrapped his legs around Sapnap, they walked out, going back to George's room, the hallway was just empty now. People who wanted to pass, have passed. 

George was set back down once again, on his bed, he watched as Sapnap once again started raiding the place. Pulling out clothing from George’s room closet, watching as his cloths got shoved into another bag. 

George shuffled along the bed, scooting closer to the edge. “Where are we going?” 

“A boat, their getting as many people out as here as possible.” 

“Whose they?” 

Sapnap shrugged, “Government or something, they said those with health problems and children go first, I’m jotted down as your third guardian so I’m getting you out of here.” 

George remembers when his father asked Sapnap to be written down as an emergency contact if anything was to happen to him or his ex-wife. 

“Yeah, exactly, you're my last con- oh god.” 

Sapnap stuttered in his actions, looking up to George. 

He slowly shrugs, words failing to form from Sapnap. Sapnap didn’t know how to tell George, what had happened to his parents, what had happened to many other people. 

George teared up, sniffling. He was picked up again, George just buried his face into Sapnap neck just before picking up a bunny teddy from the bed, letting himself be taken somewhere, the boat. 

  
How did they end up half way across the world?


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ITS MY BIRTHDAY! IM 16 LOL
> 
> Shorter chapter than usual, I usually write late weds into thrus and sometimes friday but I'm going to be busy, lol bday stuff, sorry!

“Fuck sake!” 

Sapnap kicked the chair as the table, he was exhausted, frustrated and worried, so very worried. Others sat around the table, all equally looking the same. Tired and distressed. 

“May the east side.” somebody from the table called out, sounded like Bad. 

“Fuck the east side, we’ve looked their so many times!” Sapnap raged, kicking the chair again. 

Sapnap was fuming, he was angry at himself. Why didn’t he keep a closer eye on George, or was it because he was too protective, he made George run away. They had been looking for weeks, they had searched their territory and even further out from the area they watched over, they ever searched their neighbouring territory. Bad and Skeppy’s, but yet found nothing. 

He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t think George could even go out any further than the places they had searched, they areas they had gone to were massive areas. 

Sapnap sat, hands in hair staring at the map on the table. His eyes blinked, trying to focus on it. 

Skeppy coughed, “It was a bad sand storm maybe he’s....y’know-” 

“Don’t you dare-” 

Bad sighed, standing up. He walked around the table and put a hand on Sapnap’s shoulder. 

What Bad was about to suggest would be hard to digest, but had been running through his mind throughout the recent days, and probably going through all of their heads. 

“Sap, considering George’s health...” 

Sapnap let out a small sound, sounding like a sob. 

Bad gulped, “He probably couldn’t withstand the storm, his health wouldn’t have been able too.” 

Sapnap just shook his head, refusing to believe. George was his best friend; he was tough and always refused to stay still. There was no way he was just...dead. 

Bad sniffled, George being his friend too. The suggestion felt guilty, being the one that said it. 

“We’ll set up-” 

“NO!” 

Bad flinched, “Sap...” 

Skeppy at some point had stood, “Bad, we should give him time, he was closer to George than any of us.” 

Bad looked at Skeppy, his own eyes filled with tears. They had all been affected. Lost a friend. 

So, they left the room. 

Sapnap sat there, sobbing. 

He was the only one to blame, he only wanted to keep George safe. He wasn’t made for this world, a world where nothing could help his condition. Everything was a bigger threat to George now than then ever since the sickness happened. 

Sapnap didn’t know what he was going to do now, in theory, he really did. Look after his land like always, give orders, make meetings, help his society but George wasn’t there anymore. Wasn’t there to listen in to meetings, help out on the farms when he was allowed outside, telling Sapanp to be nicer to the front gate guards. 

He wouldn’t get to tell him sorry. 

For being such a shit friend, keeping him from free. 

Sapnap wiped his eyes, but more only fell. He looked at the map once again, looking at areas outside the territory. He knew this old village, more than hours upon hours away. Last time him and a crew went out to scout it out, it apparently had a food bank but was overrun with the dead. 

Maybe, just maybe George had ended up there. 

Sapnap wasn’t ready to give up yet. 

Sapnap jumped, ran down the stairs of the meeting hall. He busted open the doors, “Matt, I’m leaving you in charge again.” 

“Sir, but diamond kingdom just left-” Matt tried with his leader, DK being Bad and Skeppy’s home. 

“Yeah, I’m going alone.” 

“Sir-” 

“Can I leave you in charge or not?” Sapnap glared at him, almost challenging him. 

A nod came from Matt, and with that Sapnap was off. He didn’t care how tired he was, he was going to find George. 

He entered his own home, grabbing a smaller map from his kitchen, along with a set of keys for a car outside the walls. He ran upstairs packing a bag of necessary things, which he had done countlessly over the last weeks. 

He headed back out, walking past other homes, farms, small play areas. He revived greets throughout from his people. He gave small smiles back and nods, he didn’t want to show his people had drained he had become, but it was hard to hide. His people knew what was going on, everybody noticed the disappearance of the friendliest resident. He may have not been able to come out often but when he did, everybody's day was better. He always helped, talked with the elderly, even played with the kids, George even loved to help with the baking that went on. 

He was what put the village, Myosotis, together. 

They named, well George named the village Myosotis, a type of flower. They came in whites, yellows, pinks and blues. George really loved the blue version of them. Of course, it was the only colour he could see. 

Running down the course path, Sapnap passed a bedding of flowers, ironically, a bedding of myosotis’. 

“So, what are we planting?” Sapnap humoured him, watching at George dropped onto his knees into the newly soiled bedding, it had a wooden frame around the open area. It was in the middle of the entire village, they had a village square, stands and benches laid out around the area. Lively, people eating, talking, resting. 

“Myosotis!” 

Sapnap chuckled, of course. Goerge had planted many flowers before. But he insisted putting new ones in the middle, Sapnap got someone to set up bedding for the flowers. 

George’s knees were covered in the soil now, George had but on simple grey shorts with an oversized red t-shirt, things he didn’t mind getting muddy. He started digging holes. Making space for the seeds, it had taken a while to even find myosotis seed’s, Sapnap didn’t think it would be so hard, but it ended up being actually being hard. 

Sapnap sat down, on one of the community-built benches, mostly everything you saw was community built. He leaned over it with his arm, watching George as his hands we’re now starting to look the same as his muddy knees. It was partially warm today; it was a good thing Sapnap put on his signature ‘cowboy hat’. 

Sapnap liked this best, when he could watch over George. 

George dropped the small seeds into place, pulling soil with his hands back over so that it covers them. He dropped them in more places, covering it with soil again. He’d stand, kneel in a new place and repeat his actions, making holes. 

“Hi George!” 

Sapnap looked up from keeping an eye on George, looking at a girl now. A young girl. 

“Hi Gail!” 

Gail smiled; she was wearing a fitted green sundress with pattered flowers, along with a woven sun hat. 

“Is that a new hat?” George asked. 

Gail nodded, “Momma made it, can I help?” Gail’s accent was strong, it suited her very much. 

“Totally!”, George emptied some seeds into his hand, “But be warned, you will get muddy!” 

Gail giggled, copying George by going onto her knees. George let the seeds in his hand fall in to her cupped ones. Sapnap watched as George helped her, showing her the ropes of planting. 

George was most happy like this, and Sapnap knew this. 

Sapnap kept moving, running past the flowers, he needed to leave as soon as possible before sundown. He kept going, passing the small bakery everyone loves. 

  
“George?” 

Sapnap had been looking for George for about an hour now, he had suddenly moved from the bench without notifying him. 

He had asked around, but only got laughter in return and told not to worry. Sapnap found the returning replies silly, telling him George was fine and to not worry. There was a lot to worry about when it came to George. 

Soon he got a reply out of one of the oldest residents, “Son, relax.”, the old woman was rested in her rocking chair on her front porch. “He went with Millie, the poor boy wanted cookies.” 

So, here he was in the back of the bakery looking for George since he wasn’t out the front. 

Sapnap was greeted by a hand full of flour to the face. 

George snorted; a laugh followed by Millie. Sapnap just rolled his eyes at them, “Really?” 

“Really!” Millie laughed more. 

George and Millie were equally covered in flour, both looked a mess. Sapnap looked around, seeing the table with dough and the oven on, preheating for the yet to be made cookies. 

“Wanna help?” 

Sapnap rolled up his sleeves, ”sure.” 

More flour was thrown around that day, the kitchen becoming a mess but it was never left in the dirty state. They did get the cookies finished too, it was the latest Goerge had ever stayed out than his usual 2 hours, George refused to go back in until he had asked everybody he could if they wanted his bakes. 

They had gone around the houses, open spaces and the park too to offer anyone the cookies. 

People took them happily, even the old grump at the end of the road. Even George’s happiness beamed onto him. 

Sapnap ran to the gates, they opened. He nodded a thanks to the one who opened them, he raced to his car, opening the door and jumping in. He started up the car and took one more look at his map before gripping the wheel and speeding off. 

“George, you’re what makes Myosotis, well Myosotis!” Bad gleamed at George, he and George had been setting up for the weekend's festival the current afternoon, George had been hanging up fairy lights from the posts, an array of colours, Sapnap had informed him of this. 

Sapnap was watching the two from where he was stood with Skeppy, they were trying to set up tables. 

“You think so?” 

Bad laughed at this, ”Your people have never met someone whose face just screamed happiness all day long, it rubs off to them.” 

“People do tell me they make their fay better.” 

Bad handed George more lights, ”See!”, Bad kept the ladder George climbed back up on steady. “They love you, they trust you and of course, Sap!” 

George just smiled kindly. 

The smile made Sapnap smile, Bad was right, George definitely was what made Myosotis, Myosotis.


	17. Chapter 17

This is a chapter is going to me addressing about updates, and I know this isn't the kind of thing you want to be seeing for an update; but honestly I've not really lost my interest in this story but more of I'm tried of it and kinda lost.

I felt like I rushed myself to make chapters, didn't really do my best and nor did I have fun. 

When I made myself update on a routine; I felt rushed, and I just wanted to get chapters to please you guys.

I wanted to make a story for fun but ended up just burning myself out, it also didn't work out with the fact that I'm still at college rn.

I'm not ending this book, hopfully. I want to keep it in mind; keep it as an on-going/on hold for now.

I do plan on starting a new book, but this time it'll be at my own pace. 

I want to do what I had originally planned which was to have fun and enjoy writing, I don't want to feel rushed and not get lazy with writing. 

I'm not sure when this new book will appear, but I plan to not have a schedule for this book, I'll write it when I want to and post it when I want to, I'm doing it like this so that it ties in with my college work.

And again, I'm sorry for this, I was aware some of you were really excited/hoping for a new chapter.


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